Case Study: SA Health reduces avoidable emergency department visits with Simple

SA Health boosts Healthdirect calls 628% with Simple

SA Health, the public health authority for South Australia, was facing a critical challenge with its emergency departments operating beyond capacity. A significant number of presentations, particularly from adults aged 18-34, were for non-emergency situations, causing dangerous delays for true emergencies. The marketing agency Simple was engaged to develop a campaign to address this issue.

Simple created the "Umm...ergency" campaign, which targeted the feeling of uncertainty people experience when unsure if a situation is an emergency. The graphic, fast-paced ads directed people to call Healthdirect for triage by a nurse. The campaign drove 19,742 calls to Healthdirect in six weeks, exceeding its target by 628% and delivering a 9.55x return on investment by reducing avoidable emergency visits. Simple's highly effective work helped save lives and was later recognized with Effie Awards.

SA Health