Microsoft Teams

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.

Learning resources for care providers

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 with your patients.

Microsoft Teams Playbook

This step-by-step playbook will help you get started, adjust your settings, request language accessibility support and more.

Microsoft Teams playbook

Virtual Visit Best Practice Guide

This guide outlines key points to determine if virtual care is suitable in the patient's care journey.

Virtual visit best practice guide

Quick reference guides

Find detailed instructions to help you have successful virtual visits using Microsoft Teams.

Resources for your patients

Your patients and their loved ones may have questions about virtual visits. You can direct them to the virtual visits patient resources page.

Patient resources

PLS sessions moving to Microsoft Teams

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.

PLS session staying with Zoom for Healthcare: American Sign Language interpreter 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.

Learn how to request interpretation services for a virtual visit in the Language Access Guide for Virtual Visits.

Important points for all to remember

Recording meetings on Microsoft Teams is only approved for the following instances:

Educational sessions that cannot be attended by all who require the information 
Vendor demonstrations where information is later needed to conduct assessments or educate staff on product use

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.