New online platform in N.S. designed to build efficiencies within province's health-care system
A new program in Nova Scotia was created in hopes to ease some pressure on the province's health-care system by minimizing patient wait times to see a specialist.
The idea for "Virtual Hallway" came from a conversation between two doctors who came up with new treatment options for a patient.
Dr. Luke Napier said the web-based platform is already growing at a rapid rate.
“It’s essentially a scheduler," said Napier. "It makes it easy for a family physician or nurse practitioner to get in touch with a specialist.”
Napier says it's also much faster than an office-based consultation.
“So, if people are on a waitlist to see a specialist, this is the way the doctor or nurse practitioner can consider using to get a specialist involved quite quickly,” said Napier, who added "Virtual Hallway' doesn't directly alleviate the family doctor shortage in Nova Scotia, but it does remove existing significant pressure points from within the health-care system.
“If a primary care provider is working with the patient and developing a treatment plan, this allows that doctor or nurse practitioner to have a conversation with a specialist.”
Erin Sarrazin says the process requires consent from patients to allow doctors and nurse practitioners to work on their behalf.
“I am able to come back to them and offer a solution, to either bridge them to an appointment while they're waiting to see a specialist," said Sarrazin, who is a nurse practitioner. "It can also potentially avoid having them see a specialist at all.”
Sarrazin said "Virtual Hallway" is an innovative solution that leads to incremental efficiencies within Nova Scotia's health-care system.
“Virtual care and using the technology that we have is going to be the future of health care," said Sarrazin. "Especially when you think about our province, when you think about the difficulty people have finding a health-care provider.“
Currently, about 500 primary care providers and more than 50 specialists in Nova Scotia are using "Virtual Hallway," with close to 100 consultations each week.
More information on platform can be found online.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canadian gov't proposes new foreign influence registry as part of wide-spanning new bill
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government is proposing a suite of new measures and law changes aimed at countering foreign interference in Canada, amid extensive scrutiny over past meddling attempts and an ever-evolving threat landscape.
Boeing Starliner capsule's first crewed test flight postponed
The long-awaited first crewed test flight of Boeing's new Starliner space capsule was called off for at least 24 hours over a technical issue that launch teams were unable to resolve in time for the planned Monday night lift-off.
Teacher charged in historical sexual assault of Calgary teenage girl
Calgary police have charged a teacher with the alleged sexual assault of a teenage girl more than 20 years ago.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Man banned from owning animals after fatal Calgary dog attack
The owner of three Calgary dogs that got loose and mauled a woman to death in 2022 has been ordered to pay a $15,000 fine within one year and banned from owning any animal for 15 years.
East-end Ottawa family dealing with massive rat infestation
Residents in Ottawa’s Elmridge Gardens complex are dealing with a rat infestation that just won’t go away. Now, after doing everything they can to try to fix the issue, they are pleading with the city to step in and help.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Newfoundland and Labrador latest province to tighten rules on Airbnbs
Newfoundland and Labrador is the latest jurisdiction to bring in stricter rules for short-term rentals, with a coming set of regulations that will force operators to register with the provincial government.