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Provincial Virtual Health

Provincial Virtual Health (formerly known as the Office of Virtual Health) leads and provides strategic direction on virtual health initiatives at PHSA and across the health sector.

Provincial Virtual Health brings together clinical experience, knowledge of virtual tools, expertise in patient engagement, educational methodologies, change management approaches, project management frameworks, process analysis and optimization, practice, policy and privacy laws and mandates—all to elevate and transform what it means to provide care virtually!

We work closely with clinical programs and their clients. We also work with partners in the Provincial Digital Health and Information Services (PDHIS) portfolio, and across the health sector in British Columbia.

A key priority in our work is addressing the complex challenges faced by rural and remote Indigenous Peoples in accessing timely and appropriate care. We embed Indigenous cultural safety and humility in all our projects, with a focus on improving health outcomes for Indigenous Peoples across B.C. 

In collaboration with Provincial Language Services, we work to enhance language access for patients, helping to remove communication barriers and improve the patient experience across B.C. 

Partner with us
people using laptops and mobile devices


By identifying and exploring priority clinical needs, Provincial Virtual Health collaborates with the clinical team to ensure that the virtual tools used and implemented help address clinical needs and support high-quality, safe and appropriate care.


Virtual health visit

A technology-enabled remote interaction between providers, provider(s) and patient(s), and patients and families to address the patients' health.

Remote patient monitoring

Use technology to monitor a patient's health (usually from their home), and share the information electronically with health care teams

Online treatment and resources

24/7 access to web-based applications for anonymous, confidential and highly person-centred treatment for challenges with mental health or substance use.


We work directly with clinical teams and their patients as they integrate virtual health into their services

  • Investigate clinical needs in areas the program wants to transform or improve
  • Help define and document clinical requirements of a virtual health tool
  • Identify and recommend a virtual health tool to support the clinical needs and requirements
  • Support to ensure the virtual health tool is enabled, including working with our IMITS, privacy, risk and procurement departments
  • Project and change management support, tools and coaching
  • Clinical workflow re-design
  • Virtual health education and practice support

 

Improving the patient experience is the driver of all Provincial Virtual Health initiatives. Patient input is essential to project planning, implementation and evaluation.


  1. Identify patients' needs: This requires an understanding of patients' compelling needs and their ability and willingness to use the virtual health solution
  2. Co-design with patients: An open feedback loop ensures patient input guides the solution design. Where possible, the Provincial Virtual Health team uses formalized patient committees
  3. Evaluate patient input: A Patient Feedback Survey is used at key project milestones to ensure patient feedback guides continuous improvement
  4. Deliver patient outcomes: Demonstrate improved patient satisfaction and experience

 

If you are considering adding virtual health to your services, please contact us at provincialvirtualhealth@phsa.ca.

 

‎PVH has developed tools and resources that support clinical programs through all phases, including:

  • Engagement
  • Discovery
  • Planning
  • Execution
  • Evaluation
  • Scale
  • Project management
  • Coaching support to the clinical team
  • Education and training

Go behind the scenes at virtual health projects in PHSA programs

Many PHSA programs have successfully integrated virtual health into their programs. Read the stories to get their feedback and learn about patients’ experiences.


Resources

Virtual health policy

The virtual health policy was developed to support staff to safely and effectively use virtual health in their clinical practice.

Virtual health competency framework

Informed by evidence, clinical expertise, and with input from patient and family partners, the Virtual Health Competency Framework is a foundational practice resource that can support all PHSA health-care providers to deliver safe, appropriate and effective virtual health.

Virtual health handbook

For PHSA staff who use virtual health in their clinical practice, this handbook provides information and references that consider professional standards, current legislation and feedback from PHSA subject matter experts and clinical programs. 

Privacy and security in virtual health 

The Privacy and security resource supports PHSA staff and clinicians in navigating privacy and security in virtual health.

When a person consents to receive care through virtual health, their personal information will be collected directly from them for the purpose of providing that care. For any questions about the collection of this personal information, please contact PHSA Information Access & Privacy Services at privacyandfoi@phsa.ca. This information is being collected by PHSA under the authority of sections 26(c) and 26(e) of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.

  • Video Remote Interpreting (VRI): Provides on-demand access to 240 languages, including American Sign Language 24/7, when a patient and health-care provider meet in person. 
  • Interpreting services during virtual health visits: A provider can submit a request to Provincial Language Service to have an interpreter that connects to their one-to-one or group virtual health visit.
  • Closed captioning during Zoom for Healthcare virtual health visits: Option for automatic live transcription, or professional captioners/transcribers are available.  
Learn more about the above virtual communication tools in this infographic, and learn how to book these services for patients on the Provincial Language Service webpage. 


Presenting our work

Get a glimpse into digital and virtual health projects in select conference presentations below


May 2024 eHealth Conference, Vancouver

Partnering for Appropriate Virtual Care (PDF)

  • The PAVC project aims to address the needs of linguistically diverse communities whose members have a language other than English and are deaf or hard of hearing and are interested in receiving care virtually.
  • Learn more at the Partnering for Appropriate Virtual Care webpage 

Measuring Success for Digital Health Products: A metrics driven approach (PDF) 

  • Using data to drive product success in a  growing digital and virtual health product portfolio.
  • Access key trends and insights in virtual health at PHSA and across B.C. health sector in the 2023 Activities and Initiatives report (PDF).
April 2024 Quality Forum, Vancouver

Enhancing Harm Reduction through Toxic Drug Health Alerts (PDF)

  • Highlighting the significance of collaborative community efforts in enhancing and fortifying our response to the public health crisis posed by unregulated drugs.
  • Learn more at the BCCDC harm reduction webpage 

  • Video Remote Interpreting (VRI) uses audio and video technologies connected to the internet on smartphones or tablets to provide interpreting services virtually.
  • The presentation highlights provincial evaluation results to determine the impact of VRI across participating health authority clinical areas and understand patient and provider experiences in terms of access, clinical quality as well as productivity and cost-efficiency from April 1, 2021 - Dec 31, 2022. 
May 2023 eHealth Conference, Toronto

Toxic Drug Health Alerts (PDF)

  • Collaboration with BC Centre for Disease Control to implement provincial low barrier solution for the public to receive toxic drug alerts and harm reduction resources.
  • Learn more at the BCCDC harm reduction webpage  

Digital and Virtual Health Atlas (PDF)


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