Video consultation lessons for sick children: Available daily from October!

Video consultation lessons for sick children: Available daily from October!

From October 1, 2025, parents with sick children will offer a new form of support: daily video consultation about the pediatric standby of the Hessen Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians (KVH). This is done after a two -year test phase, which achieved positive results and was particularly tested on public holidays.
The initiative aims to minimize trips and waiting times for affected families. Parents can contact the number 116117 between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. to make an appointment. As part of the appointment, a first assessment of the symptoms is to clarify whether they are suitable for a video consultation.

For complaints that require a physical examination, the families are referred to the nearest on -call service center. Suitable cases for the video consultation include rashes, conjunctivitis and gastrointestinal infections as well as recipe requests. This new offer should contribute significantly to relieve emergency rooms.

Advanced availability of the video discussion

With the upcoming start date, the range of video consultation lessons will not only be available every day, but also at defined times: Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays from 7 p.m. to midnight, Wednesday and Friday from 2 p.m. to midnight and on weekends from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. This enables comprehensive accessibility for families with acute illnesses of their children. The first test run at the long weekend on October 3, 2023 already included around 1,500 treatments carried out, which proves the high level of acceptance and the need for such telemedical services. The KVH also plans to offer this service to adults in the future.

In the general development of telemedicine, the video consultation plays an important role. These have been remunerated by default since 2017, and their importance has increased significantly during Corona pandemic. The use of audiovisual communication technologies in medicine is promoted by legal framework conditions, whereby the Digital-Supply Act (DVG) regulates remuneration for cross-sector telecons. The legislation on the digitization of healthcare also contributed to the flexibility of video consultation, so that doctors can also offer them outside of practice rooms, such as in the home office.

The importance of telemedicine

telemedicine has established itself as an important part of medical care, especially in rural areas. It significantly improves access to health services and is a central element of the digitization strategy in healthcare. The innovation funds open up new possibilities of telemedicine, such as in the rescue system and in rural supply models. The new offer of the KVH for sick children illustrates these developments and their practical benefits for families.

The KVH and those responsible in the healthcare system thus focus on strengthening telemedical care and the further development of innovative solutions in order to meet the needs of the population. FAZ reports that the concept is permanently available from October, while the Giessener Anzeiger describes the individual processes of the video speech lessons in detail. Further information on telemedicine is available on the website of the Federal Ministry of the Federal Ministry