A Patient’s Story: Crisis averted in the middle of the night
Beth started having a mild stomach ache one Saturday evening after dinner. She decided to take it easy that night, resting and reading a book in bed. She dozed off to sleep early, but woke up at midnight with severe nausea and lower abdominal pain. After about a half hour of bearing the pain and nausea, she was able to fall back to sleep, only to wake up again at 2 am with even more intense nausea and pain. After another hour with no relief, she needed to make a decision – either go to the ER, call 911, or continue to suffer.
She remembered an email that she recently received from her health plan about a new virtual benefit. She pulled up the email and read that she now has access to a team of providers and care coordinators for video or phone consultations 24/7/365. She quickly called the phone number and was connected to a care coordinator immediately.
The care coordinator confirmed her name and date of birth and asked her to explain what kind of pain she was having. Then, she was immediately connected to a Nurse Practitioner.
The Nurse Practitioner came up with a list of possible causes of her pain and nausea. He was concerned about a possible kidney stone, ovarian torsion, or diverticulitis. After further discussion, Beth and the Nurse Practitioner decided it was best for her to get a CT scan. The care coordinator found an urgent care facility with CT scan capabilities so that Beth could avoid a long wait at the ER.
Beth went to the urgent care facility and was eventually discharged and diagnosed with a kidney stone. She had a diagnosis and her symptoms started to improve that morning.
The next day, a Nurse from UCM Digital Health called Beth to see if her symptoms had improved and to assess if she needed any further care. Beth expressed her great gratitude for the excellent care she received from the Care Team at UCM!
Beth saved a significant amount of time and money by being directed to the appropriate facility instead of running straight to the ER. She was able to get care immediately – addressing her immediate issue and preventing it from becoming even more severe.
The health plan benefited from a satisfied member, a positive health outcome, and savings through an avoided ER visit.
