WA Health has called time on its innovative COVID-19 home monitoring program WA COVID Care at Home, which went live in late January and cared for more than 17,000 COVID-positive patients who were at higher risk of serious illness or hospitalisation.

The program used technology from Sydney’s CareMonitor to provide a virtual care home monitoring service under a $39.6 million contract with health insurer Medibank and healthcare provider Calvary Health Care.

The service involves people being contacted by telehealth twice a day, as well as distributing care packages and providing support from Aboriginal health specialists.

The program enrolled COVID-positive patients based on risk factors such as age, vaccination status, medical conditions and social considerations.

All stages of the patient journey from triaging and risk stratification through to allocation of care plans, remote monitoring, daily assessments, escalation protocols, and reporting back to funders are being facilitated via the CareMonitor platform. Patients can use CareMonitor’s digital app.

WA Health says less than four per cent of patients in the program required escalation to hospital. It is now being wound down as WA’s state of emergency has ended. The last intake of patients will be on November 30, with operations ceasing on December 31.

The state is transitioning to manage COVID-19 through sustainable public health measures, vaccination and targeted testing processes.

WA Health is encouraging at risk patients to plan ahead and consult their GP or specialist for advice on their eligibility for antivirals and the development of a care plan. Medications can be prescribed by a patient’s regular GP by telehealth.