![]() Virtual triage assessment centre (VTAC) paramedics put on personal protective equipment outside before visiting a seniors residence in Renfrew County, Ont., during the COVID-19 pandemic. Nolan said VTAC is a "powerful tool" that solves this problem in the short term. Experts have said that leads to many people ignoring their health concerns until they worsen and require emergency care. Medical researchers estimate more than 2.2 million Ontario residents don't have a family doctor. Those savings, plus the increased provincial funding and positive community feedback, proves the program is working and should be expanded to neighbouring towns and cities, Nolan said. But it's a bridge to that point, as a safety net."įitzsimon estimates the program has saved the county about $2 million per year on health-care spending. "This isn't … comprehensive team-based care. "This isn't the final sort of endpoint that we want to be at," he said. (Brian Goldman/CBC) Not an 'endpoint', doctor saysįitzsimon won't label the VTAC a permanent solution to the shortage of family doctors. Jonathan Fitzsimon, Chief of Medicine at Arnprior Regional Health and the physician lead for the Virtual Triage Assessment Centre (VTAC), says he wants to see a permanent solution to improve primary care in Ontario. The pool of doctors include some who are semi-retired, others who have just obtained their medical certificate, and family doctors who offer to work some extra hours on top of their full-time job.ĭr. We're not poaching anyone from another community." ![]() "We feel we've been able to tap into an unused pool of talent. "The only reason we've been able to recruit a pool of doctors to do this long-term and maintain them is because it's professionally rewarding work they enjoy," said Fitzsimon. ![]() Jonathan Fitzsimon, the medical lead for the VTAC in Renfrew County, said unlike some Ontario communities there has been no challenge recruiting or retaining family doctors. Unlike a typical walk-in clinic, a patient's health information follows them from doctor to doctor in future appointments until they can attain a permanent family doctor.ĭr. The model sees paramedics free up doctors to see more patients and Nolan said most patients in the VTAC model can see a family doctor on the same day. The doctor can then order an X-ray and issue a prescription. ![]() "If they come in and they're running a, and we listen to their lungs and it's symptomatic of possible pneumonia, we can get a requisition drawn up and circumvent going through the for hours and hours," said paramedic Sean Plunkett. Paramedics and nurses, using Bluetooth-connected medical instruments, become the eyes, ears and physical hands for a doctor, who watches the assessment on video. Renfrew County's chief paramedic and director of emergency services Michael Nolan helped start the region's virtual triage assessment centre, or VTAC. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |