Reimagining acute diabetes care: Insights from the Victorian Virtual Emergency Department

Objective New approaches to diabetes care are needed to better identify and manage diabetes emergencies outside of hospitals. Research Design and Methods A retrospective, descriptive analysis was conducted using data from the Victorian Virtual Emergency Department Diabetes (VVED Diabetes), a telehealth service that provides emergency care—including ketone testing by ambulance personnel—for patients across Victoria, Australia, experiencing non-life-threatening diabetes-related emergencies. Results Between July and December 2024, VVED Diabetes managed 868 diabetes-related emergencies, with 82.5% treated in the community, avoiding a physical emergency department visit. Referrals came from various sources, including Ambulance Victoria (26%), aged care facilities (29%), and self-registrations (20%). Hyperglycaemia accounted for 46% of presentations. No clinical adverse events were reported, and patients gave positive feedback in a post-discharge survey. Conclusions VVED Diabetes delivers safe, timely and high-quality treatment for people with diabetes who are acutely unwell, while ensuring the efficient use of limited hospital resources.