Video Appointment with Members of your Care Team
Appointments with members of your care team can be done through a Virtual Visit. Using the camera and microphone on your device, you are able to attend a scheduled appointment with your provider to discuss your health care. If you are interested in scheduling a virtual visit for your next appointment, please ask our reception team.
Preparing for a Virtual Visit (Video Appointment)
- Find the right location
- Private and Comfortable
- Free of distraction
- Brightly lit
- Use headphones- better for privacy and sound quality
- Glasses, hearing aids or other accessibility devices
- Health card
- Computer, smart phone, tablet
- Test your equipment and internet connection
- Optional – have a friend or family member assist for health knowledge or translation
Ontario Telemedicine Network (OTN)
Getting access to specialists can be challenging for rural residents. To help you get the help you need from specialists located in neighbouring cities or communities, we offer a telemedicine program.
This way, you can talk to a variety of specialists through videoconferencing – which saves you the travel time, cost and stress associated with seeing a specialist in Ottawa or Kingston.
What is telemedicine?
Telemedicine is video-conferencing with specialists. Telemedicine appointments are just like a regular specialist’s appointment with a slight difference: rather than being in the same room as the specialist, you “see” your specialist on the Ontario Telemedicine Network monitor and talk to him/her in real time over the secure network.
In addition to “seeing” your specialist, there is specialized equipment that allows your specialist to listen to your heartbeat and breathing using a digital stethoscope.
Telemedicine Services include but are not limited to:
- Endocrinology/Diabetes management
- Mental health/Psychiatry
- Dermatology
- Skin/Soft Tissue Infection clinic
Access to other specialties will be added as our program develops and are provided as requested by the specialist.
Similarly, dermatology (skin) appointments can also be done through telemedicine. This allows for you to have a faster referral and diagnosis.
What can you expect when seeing a dermatologist through telemedicine?
A photo of the area of concern is taken and sent through a secure internet connection to a dermatologist who views the photo and then makes a diagnosis. They will send their findings back to your doctor/nurse practitioner so that treatment can be started.
Telemedicine is offered at ConnectWell Community Health Centres, both Lanark and Renfrew County Sites.
Frequently Asked Questions about your Telemedicine Appointment
What is telemedicine?
Telemedicine uses video cameras and monitors to connect you to specialists or other health care professionals who are not located near you, reducing the need to travel to receive care. You will be able to see, hear and talk to a doctor or other healthcare professional.
Why is it beneficial?
Why travel far to your doctor’s appointment when you don’t have to? Registered health care providers can “visit” with their patients using telemedicine equipment at either ConnectWell Community Health Centres, both Lanark and Renfrew County sites. A health care professional is available during the session to provide patient and doctor support. There are no crowded waiting rooms and appointments start on time, making the most of your valuable time.
How does it work?
Using a two-way videoconferencing system, clients and their health care professional do the same thing as might happen if they were in the same room.
Before you arrive, the specialist you are going to see will already have relevant information about you to support your telemedicine visit. However, you may be asked to bring test results, medications or x-rays with you.
A health care professional who has been trained in telemedicine will be with you during your visit. The videoconference connection is made with the specialist/health care professional at a different location and the visit begins.
The health care professional may assist with the examination, using tele-diagnostic equipment like a digital stethoscope or patient examination camera. The specialist on the monitor can hear heart and breath sounds and see areas such as wounds/incisions as if he/she were sitting in the same room.
Just like a regular doctor’s appointment, your telemedicine visit will be private and confidential. It can only be seen and heard by the health care professionals involved. Neither video nor audio are recorded.
A referral from your doctor/nurse practitioner is necessary.
Want to know more about telemedicine, please call:
ConnectWell Community Health – Lanark Site 613-259-2182 Toll-Free 1- 866-762-0496
ConnectWell Community Health – Renfrew County sites 613-582-3685
or visit the Ontario Telemedicine Network website