Health care with a tech twist
Team hopes to expand Virtual Care Clinic in 2019 at Digby and Area Health Services Centre
Most people know what to expect when they go for an appointment with their primary care provider. It usually involves chatting face-to-face in the exam room with a doctor or nurse practitioner.
So when patient Marie Wheelock was contacted about a virtual care appointment at the Digby and Area Health Services Centre, she was a bit apprehensive. But she quickly realized it wasn’t very different from a regular doctor’s appointment.
“Once I’d seen how it worked, I was fine with it,” she said.
Virtual care connects patients with their health-care provider through videoconferencing technology. It’s been around for many years in Nova Scotia.
It has mostly been used for hospital-based appointments in rural communities with specialists located in other parts of the province and has required specialized equipment and quite a bit of space.
Today, however, with newer technology, virtual care uses videoconferencing software so appointments can be hosted in an exam room at a family practice, using a computer or tablet. Think Skype or Facetime, but specifically made for health care, to ensure patient privacy.
This type of appointment enables family doctors and nurse practitioners who are not local to provide access to care in the Digby area. The time a primary care provider would spend driving is transformed into more appointment time to see patients.
“I was impressed with it,” said Wheelock. “For people who are apprehensive, I didn’t see a whole lot of difference between a regular visit and a virtual care visit.
“If you have something physical that the doctor should look at, it is a bit more difficult, but you can