Philadelphia-based Penn Medicine has implemented a 24/7 virtual care model to manage after-hours patient needs across 63 primary care practices in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
The systemwide change eliminates most on-call duties for primary care physicians by routing after-hours calls to a dedicated virtual care team, according to a Jan. 28 news release. Physicians no longer handle routine patient calls during nights or weekends, while patients retain access to clinicians at all hours.
The program aims to improve work-life balance for primary care providers and reduce unnecessary emergency department visits by offering timely care for minor illnesses, prescription requests and symptom management. So far, call volume for clinicians has dropped by at least 95%, according to system leaders.
The service integrates with the system’s EHR platform, enabling virtual providers to access patient histories and coordinate follow-up care with patients’ regular primary care teams. Leaders said the model supports provider well-being, reduces burnout and helps attract early-career physicians.
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