Hybrid Model of Care – Virtual Physician in Hospital

Cariboo Memorial Hospital in Williams Lake is launching a new service which will include virtual physicians directing the care for some patients in hospital; all other staff including nurses will remain in-person. The purpose of this service is to reduce service disruptions which occur when no physician is available for in-person care due to staffing shortages.

Interior Health is seeking patient partners to support the following activities:

1. Provide input and perspective into the processes (‘workflows’) with a virtual physician. Discuss comfort level with the approach and suggest changes to improve the patient experience, including how communication and assessment should happen with the in-person staff and virtual physician.

2. Provide input and perspective into the development of the evaluation plan for the new service. Discuss questions and considerations that are relevant to identify the patient experience and patient satisfaction when the Interior Health team is evaluating the service.

Patient partners will be asked to attend one to two 1-hour meetings a week.

Level of Engagement

This opportunity is at the level of Consult on the IAP2 Spectrum of Public Participation.

Eligibility

• Willing & comfortable to share health care experiences in a group setting
• Specific health care experiences [details below]
• Have access to technology and the internet to participate in the engagement opportunity
• Comfortable using technology to attend online/virtual meetings
• An interest in improving health care services
• Have been previously admitted as an inpatient

Patient Partners ARE NOT required to be PVN members to participate in this engagement opportunity.

Health Care Partner Contact Information

Michael MacNeil
Clinical Leader, Provincial Virtual Health, PHSA, Provincial Virtual Health, Supporting Cariboo Memorial Hospital | PHSA, Supporting Interior Health
(000) 000-0000
michael.macneil@phsa.ca