Virtual health-care comes to Pictou County libraries

Three libraries in Pictou County, N.S., are providing a new pathway to the health-care system for people without a primary care provider.

The branches in New Glasgow, River John and Westville now have private, dedicated spaces for people to use VirtualCareNS, the program that links unattached patients with a family doctor or nurse practitioner. People can also use the spaces for virtual appointments with specialists.

Michelle Ferris, executive director of the Aberdeen Health Foundation, said the one-year pilot program stems from the initial rollout of VirtualCareNS and the recognition that some people faced barriers accessing the service.

That includes a lack of available technology or reliable high-speed internet for some people, challenges navigating the system or perhaps not having a private space to conduct an appointment.

"We thought that these could be very real barriers for some folks and we're well aware of our local libraries as being a place where people go for help to access, you know, other government programs," she said.

"So we wondered if there was an opportunity to create a partnership."

Big response to service

As it turned out, there was.

The libraries already had space and equipment, they just needed help making them fully accessible and some money from the province to train and dedicate people to help members of the public who want to use the service.

The service at the three libraries started with a soft launch at the beginning of the month, followed by an email to the 10,000 people in Pictou County on the need-a-family-practice registry. Ferris said interest was immediate.

"Apparently, on the first day that the email went out to all the folks on the registry, they had over 50 phone calls at the library," she said.

"Obviously it caught notice and great interest and I think that they've been busy with it since."

How to access virtual care

Space can be booked by calling or emailing the libraries, or by visiting in person. Nova Scotia Health officials will evaluate the program and determine whether to expand it to other communities.

The evaluation process includes a survey that people using the library can fill out. Health-care officials will get a sense of who is using the service, what would happen if the service wasn't in place and the barriers people face, said Ferris.

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