The San Francesco Hospital in Nuoro is trialing the "See and Treat" model , a new organizational approach for managing low-complexity codes in emergency rooms. This is the first implementation in Sardinia, thanks to a pilot project promoted by the Region.
The new clinic, open from October during the morning hours, Monday to Friday, will be fully operational by November, once the IT system upgrade is completed.
The “See and Treat” model has been in use for about a decade in Tuscany and is also widespread in other Italian regions.
The goal is to reduce waiting times for patients with minor health problems, improve the efficiency of the Emergency Room, and reduce congestion.
The program is designed for patients with conditions requiring low-intensity care, often due to the difficulty of finding primary care physicians or emergency medical services. After triage assessment, if appropriate, the patient can be referred to a dedicated outpatient clinic, staffed by specially trained nurses who can consult an emergency room physician at any time.
Emergency Department Director Michela Matta and Organizational Manager Pietro Pittalis explain how it works : "The See and Treat clinic allows for a faster and more effective response to patients who don't require a full emergency care pathway. These are often situations that could be managed locally, but which, due to the challenges of primary care, end up clogging up the Emergency Department."
The initiative is part of the ministerial guidelines for in-hospital triage , which recommend the creation of differentiated pathways based on clinical priority, as established in the State-Regions agreement of 7 February 2013.
Not all patients will be able to access the new service: situations requiring complex diagnostic investigations, such as abdominal pain, neurological problems, or cardiovascular symptoms, are excluded.
Angelo Zuccarelli, Special Commissioner of Local Health Authority 3, expressed his satisfaction: "This model represents a step forward toward a more modern and rational management of care, with careful attention to the balance between hospital and community. In other countries, such as the United Kingdom, similar initiatives have led to a significant reduction in inappropriate emergency room visits."
The project was accompanied by staff training and support to ensure the effectiveness of the new system and the safety of care.
(Unioneonline/Fr.Me.)
