New service helps Sask. physicians conduct secure virtual visits amid COVID-19

Virtual medicine There are 1,500 physicians in Saskatchewan who have access to a new virtual healthcare system, according to Vilandré.

SASAKTOON — TELUS Health is enabling 26,000 physicians across Canada to conduct secure virtual visits with patients during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“For us, it was our duty to make that kind of tool available to facilitate their work and give easy access to the patient to their physician,” said Luc Vilandré, President of TELUS Health and Payment Solutions.

Physicians who use TELUS Health’s custom-built electronic medical record platforms will now have a new built-in virtual care option. This allows physicians to conduct secure video calls with patients and access their medical records and notes in real time.

Once an appointment in scheduled, both the physician and the patient will receive a link to access the live video call.

There are 1,500 physicians in Saskatchewan who have access to this system, according to Vilandré.

He said the idea is to allow physicians to continue providing care all while avoiding unnecessary exposure and limiting the spread of the virus.

“COVID-19 has kind of accelerated everything. Everybody had to react very quickly to enable the citizens of the country to be able to have access to their physicians and that’s where video consulting becomes so important,” he said.

TELUS Health is making this new feature available to physicians free of charge for the first four months to help support their efforts in managing patient care during the pandemic.

Vilandré said the goal is to keep this as a tool for physicians even after COVID-19 passes.

“We think we’re going to see this as a complimentary channel for them to connect with their patients. For people who have difficulty with their mobility, also for some follow-ups that don’t need a physical encounter.”