Book an Appointment

Monday, March 23, 2020

New Temporary Booking Policy 

Due to the ongoing COVID-19 situation, the physicians at Glenora Medical Clinic will only be seeing patients for in-person appointments for urgent problems that require an examination.  All other appointments will be done over the phone.  We have taken this step to reduce the possibility of transmission of the COVID-19 virus. We realize that this will be a different practice model from what you are used to but is one thing that we can do to slow the transmission of the virus in our community. You can call the clinic for a phone appointment.  Your physician will call you at the time of your appointment or within a few minutes.  All non-urgent appointments that require an examination (annual physicals, check up for children, blood pressure follow up, etc.) will need to be rescheduled. 

Babylon by TELUS Health

You may have heard about this app on the news that provides virtual visits for patients.  We want to let you know that we are also able to provide virtual care.  As your Medical Home, we should always be your first point of contact for all your health care needs. We always have a physician on call outside of regular office hours.  Call the clinic number to get the name and contact number for the physician on call. 

If you choose to use Babylon, be aware that the physician you talk to will not be your regular family doctor and we will not be able to provide services through the Babylon app.  You will likely speak with a different physician each time you call.  The Babylon physicians will not have access to your medical information and will not send any information to this clinic unless you specifically ask for the information to be sent. If you choose to use this app, please read the Terms of Service very carefully as your personal data may be accessed by government agencies outside of Canada. 

You may be offered virtual appointments with other health care professionals such as dieticians and mental heath consultants, but you will be expected to pay extra for these services.  These services are provided free of charge through our Primary Care Network.  The PCN is offering phone visits as we are here at the clinic. 

And finally . . . 

Support the Value of Family Physicians in Alberta

Some of you may have read the posters in the exam rooms explaining the changes that family physicians in Alberta are having to make to their practices.  These changes are being made in response tot he government tearing up the contract with all physicians and imposing changes to how physicians are paid..  Most of these changes are being aimed at family physicians and the delivery of primary care.  We know these changes will be detrimental to to the health and well-being of our patients.  If you value the care that you receive and  would like to support family doctors in this province, please consider signing this online petition that has been developed  by the Alberta College of Family Physicians.  

http://chng.it/nxfNwGhs

Thanks for your support and we will continue to keep you updated. 

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Tuesday, March 17, 2020 

DUE TO THE CURRENT PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS WE WILL BE TEMPORARILY SHUTTING DOWN OUR ONLINE BOOKING SERVICE.  PLEASE CALL THE CLINIC AT 780-455-3311 TO BOOK AN APPOINTMENT.  

We are advising patients with mild respiratory symptoms to self-isolate for 14 days.  We also advise that patients socially distance themselves (stay 2 metres or 6 feet away from other people) to slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus.  Only leave your home for essential appointments and errands. 

For up to date information on COVID-19, go to www.ahs.ca/covid.

****COVID-19 ALERT****  Friday, March 13, 2020

PROTECT YOURSELF AND OTHERS

Alberta Health and Alberta Health Services have recommended that ALL patients, regardless of travel history, with any respiratory symptoms (cough, sneezing, runny nose, sore throat, difficulty breathing or fever) NOT go to their doctor's office but to call HealthLink at 811 or the doctor on call at the clinic for information and advice.  All returning travellers, regardless of their destination, are being asked to self-quarantine for 14 days. 

If you want more information on the COVID-19 virus, go to www.ahs.ca/covid.

We apologize for any inconvenience and thank you for your understanding as we attempt to prevent the spread of illness, including COVID-19. 

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As you may have noticed, we have a new website but the booking procedures are the same as they were with the old website.  To sign on you will need your PHN (personal health number), DOB (date of birth) and e-mail address. Please register your e-mail address with our receptionists as this will allow us to send you reminders of your appointments.  At this time, we request that you still call the clinic to make appointments for medicals (Annual, Driver's license, Pre-operative) and forms as these are usually booked for longer times than our regular appointments. 

At this time, we are unable to provide access to lab results and x-ray reports as we did in the past but we are working with our software provider to see if this can be done with our new electronic medical record (EMR). 

As always, we have made every effort to maintain the utmost security and confidentiality of your medical records but there is always a risk associated with communication via email. Please read the disclaimer. If you choose to use the online booking system, it is assumed that you have read and agree to the Conditions of Use. 

If you cannot find an available appointment and you need to be seen urgently, please call the office (during office hours ) to be seen.
 

                                               -  The staff and doctors of Glenora Medical Clinic

Glenora Medial Clinic Consent

Patient Web Appointment Bookings

Conditions of Use:

Risks of using websites: 

Glenora Medical Clinic (the Clinic) offers patients the opportunity to schedule appointments on the web. Transmitting patient information poses several risks of which the patient should be aware. The patient should not agree to use the online service without understanding and accepting these risks. The risks include, but are not limited to, the following: 

The privacy and security of online and e-mail communication cannot be guaranteed. Employers and online services may have a legal right to inspect and keep e-mails that pass through their system. E-mail is easier to falsify than handwritten or signed hard copies. In addition, it is impossible to verify the true identity of the sender, or to ensure that only the recipient can read the e-mail once it has been sent. E-mails can introduce viruses into a computer system, and potentially damage or disrupt the computer. E-mails can be forwarded, intercepted, circulated, stored or even changed without the knowledge or permission of the Clinic or the patient. E-mail senders can easily misadress an e-mail, resulting in it being sent to many unintended and unknown recipients. E-mail is indelible. Even after the sender and recipient have deleted their copies of the e-mail, back-up copies may exist on a computer or in cyberspace. Use of e-mail to discuss sensitive information can increase the risk of such information being disclosed to third parties. E-mail may even be admissible as evidence in legal proceedings. The Clinic's website for appointments is a secured site with 128-bit SSL encryption. The Clinic will only use your e-mail address to confirm or remind you of upcoming appointments.

The patient:

- Agrees to and will comply with the use of encryption software.

The Clinic does not use encryption software for e-mail communication. The patient:
- Waives the encryption requirement, with the full understanding that such waiver increases the risk of violation of the patient's privacy. 

Conditions of Using E-mail:

The Clinic will use reasonable means to protect the security and confidentiality of e-mail information sent and received. However, because of the risks, the Clinic cannot guarantee the security and confidentiality of the e-mail communication, and will not be liable for improper disclosure of confidential information. Thus, patients must consent to the use of e-mail for patient information. Consent to the use of e-mail includes agreement with the following conditions:

E-mails to or from the patient concerning appointments will become part of the patient's electronic medical record. Because they are part of the medical record, other individuals authorized to access the medical record, such as staff and billing personnel, will have access to those e-mails. The Physician may forward e-mails internally to the Clinic's staff and those involved, as necessary, for diagnosis, treatment, reimbursement, health care operations and other handling. The physician or Clinic will not, however, forward e-mails to independent third parties without the patient's prior written consent, except as authorized by law. The physician is not resposible for information loss due to technical failures. 

At the present time, patients will be able to communicate with the Clinic online for the sole purpose of booking appointments. Questions regarding medical conditions, diagnosis, lab or imaging results or status of referral appointments WILL NOT be responded to by the Cllinic. The Clinic will use e-mail to confirm appointments and provide appointment reminders only. Should the patient require immediate assistance, or if the patient's condition appears serious or rapidly worsens, the patient should not rely on online booking. Rather, the patient should call the Clinic for consultation or an appointment, or take other measures as appropriate.

Patient Acknowledgement and Agreement:

I acknowledge that I have read and fully understand this consent form. I understand the risks associated with the communicaton of e-mail between the physician/Clinic and me, and consent to the conditions outlined herein, as well as any other instructions that the physician or Clinic may impose to communicate with patients by e-mail or over the web. I acknowledge the Clinic's right to withdraw the option of communicating through e-mail. I understand that I agree to waive any and all claims that I have or may in the future have against Glenora Medical Clinic, its directors, officers, employees, agents, and representatives (collectively the Releasees) and I agree to release the Releasees from any and all liability for any loss, damage, or injury that I or my next of kin may suffer, as a result of improper release of medical information via e-mail or via a website including negligence, breach of contract, or breach of any statutory or other duty of care. 

After reading this information and proceeding to the online booking process, the patient understands and accepts the risks of using the online service.