PHSA is transitioning from Zoom for Healthcare to Microsoft Teams as the primary tool used to conduct virtual visits.
Microsoft Teams Basic is suitable for one-to-one visits (care provider and one patient/family member), staff meetings, webinars. Basic sessions include audio, video, call-in and group chat functionality.
While we understand it can take some time to get used to a new virtual visit platform, there are resources available to support you in having a successful virtual visit.
Sessions requiring only a single spoken language interpreter, or multiple spoken language interpreters in one session or Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART) will take place on Microsoft Teams. There are no changes to on-demand Video Remote Interpreting (VRI) services.
Zoom for Healthcare licences will continue for virtual visit sessions that require American Sign Language (ASL) interpreting.
- Submit the PLS Interpreter Booking (CSM) request form with the meeting link field left blank.
- The PLS team will create the Zoom meeting and share the link with your clinic.
- On the day of the visit, a PLS representative will start the meeting, transfer host privileges to the clinician, and then leave the meeting.
Recording meetings on Microsoft Teams is only approved for the following instances:
PHSA employees should not be creating or using a personal (free) Zoom account that has not been provisioned by their health authority. A personal (free) version may not have health authority privacy approval and does not have security oversight like a licensed account. Using a personal account can put your organization at risk. If you have created a personal Zoom account on your PHSA-provided device, please contact PVHSupport@phsa.ca.
