LHSC’s virtual paediatric urgent care clinic here to stay

London’s Children’s Hospital will be keeping its virtual pediatric urgent care clinic beyond the pandemic.

The online clinic was originally opened in May 2020 as an alternative for parents of sick kids reluctant to visit the emergency room because of the threat of COVID-19. Since then, more than 5,600 patients have been seen through the virtual clinic, one-third of whom accessed it from outside the London-Middlesex region.

“There are gaps in the health care system, which can lead to an imbalance of who receives care,” said Jatinder Bains, vice president of clinical programs at Children’s Hospital. “A pillar of the Ontario health care system is universality, and it is our organization’s responsibility to help address gaps. Virtual urgent care enables patients who may not physically be able to come to a hospital, the ability to receive care. With 34 per cent of patients accessing care from smaller communities outside London Middlesex, we’re slowly beginning to close those gaps.”

So far this year, 1,300 appointments have been booked at the virtual clinic. A recent patient survey showed 72 per cent of participants “strongly agree” virtual visits are as good as, or better than, in-person visits.

“The pandemic changed the way we deliver care and pushed us to explore virtual opportunities,” said Dr. Rod Lim, Children’s emergency department medical director. “Within the challenges of COVID-19, we were committed to providing options for care and found an effective digital solution. Virtual urgent care is an example of something positive coming out of the pandemic; we’re now able to reach a larger audience virtually and potentially help those unable to physically access the hospital.”

The virtual clinic operates from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. everyday and allows parents of sick children to speak with a paediatric emergency room physician to discuss their child’s condition and determine next steps in care. The physicians can prescribe new medications and may be able to assist with new and urgent referrals.

A virtual visit to the clinic can be set-up by calling 1-844-CARE-844.

Read original story from London Ontario – BlackburnNews.com