‘Within two minutes, Dr. Katelaris said: ‘I know what you’ve got, we just need to test for it.’ Fiona described her revelatory experience with Professor Connie Katelaris as she joined FIona onstage.

Prof. Katelaris was asked to discuss her brainchild, Virtual Angioedema Centers (VAC). These were started in Prof. Katelaris’ home country of Australia, primarily as it is a vast country and sparsely populated, so there was a demand for knowledge about HAE from patients, relatives, and family doctors. The VACs mean people don’t have to travel for information.

Prof. Katelaris stressed these are not medical consultations. They are a chance to offer impartial, independent, and authoritative information. Prof. Katelaris, or a nurse specialist, attends every virtual meeting. Questions have ranged from what happens with HAE in pregnancy to what I should ask my doctor.

By using their hospital’s systems, privacy is always maintained, personal details are not kept, and calls and questions aren’t logged, allowing patients to freely speak about their symptoms and concerns.

Since its start in Australia, there have been VACs in South Africa and India, which are large countries with diverse communities and languages. In India, doctors with a particular dialect can be identified for calls in different regions.

Fiona closed the conversation by referencing the great feedback received about the VACs and their accessibility regarding format and the information provided.