Health department to enhance Tele-Care services and health-related information lines (08/02/19)

FREDERICTON (CNB) - Tele-Care services and health-related information lines will be enhanced to provide better and more efficient service, Health Minister Michael Murphy announced today.
The announcement comes after the government signed a new contract with the existing service provider, Clinidata, following a request for proposals.
Tele-Care services and health-related information lines provide New Brunswickers bilingual access to telephone triage, advice, and information for non-urgent problems 24 hours a day, seven days a week by way of toll-free lines.
To assist in the situation involving a former pathologist in Miramichi, a special toll-free information line was recently installed to provide information to affected patients and families.
Murphy said the department is interested in finding ways to expand these services.
"Tele-Care and our other information lines are an effective and efficient way of making health information more accessible to New Brunswickers," Murphy said. "My department will continue to investigate the potential to further take advantage of this technology to keep our population healthier, informed and reduce health care costs at the same time."
Possible improvements include: going beyond tele-triage to incorporate health education, wellness counselling, chronic disease management as well as providing services online and fully integrating with other health care services such as hospitals and community health centres. Integration into the interoperable electronic health record and the OnePatient One Record vision is also a consideration.
The new contract has an added service level which will help reduce the number of abandoned calls.
Staffed by professional nurses, Tele-Care is a contact centre offering tele-triage and health information and advice lines to the population of New Brunswick.
Health-related information lines include:
Rabies Information Line
West Nile Virus/Avian Influenza Information Line
Gambling Information Line
Sexually Transmitted Infections Information Line
Poison Information Line
Organ and Tissue Donor Screening Line
The previous contract with Clinidata ended Dec. 31, 2007. The term of the new contract extends from Jan. 1, 2008 to March 31, 2013.
Clinidata began providing province-wide Tele-Care services in 1997. Health-related information lines were added in subsequent years. In 2006-2007, there were over 100,000 serviced calls.
08/02/19
MEDIA CONTACT: Meghan Cumby, communications, Health, 506-457-3522.
08/02/19