Changes are afoot in the way Telehealth is providing service to VCH users. Technical service improvements launched this summer will better the experience for patients and physicians, with the goal of increasing overall usage of the system throughout the health authority.
Telehealth uses secure, video-conferencing to link patients and health professionals for appointments without the need for travel. Whether it’s a live consultation, diagnosis, patient education, remote monitoring of vital signs and wound care, or simply facilitating a family visit with a loved one in care, the system delivers faster, more efficient health services and broadens care options, particularly in rural communities.
This technology also supports education sessions and administrative meetings–a boon to reducing travel time in the broad geographic area served by VCH.
Telehealth is not being used as extensively at VCH compared with other health authorities, mainly because there has been no dedicated service support for technical issues that arise before or during the call. Now, a new eHealth Service Desk has been established to provide this support and resolve issues quickly and efficiently, ensuring the user experience is seamless and that doctors and patients feel confident about using Telehealth to support clinical care.
Posters in every Telehealth meeting room will provide contact information for this new service, which is below:
604.675.2424 (local)
866.968.4347 (toll-free)
IMITS_Operations@phsa.ca
If you require any additional information, contact Brian Bootsman at brian.bootsman@phsa.ca.