A COVID-19 Update: Visits, Patient Portal, and Labs
We are happy to report that our clinic is adapting well to the “new normal” of this COVID-19 outbreak.
Phone and Virtual Visits
Telehealth visits still make up the majority of our appointments, and can be booked online or by calling our office. Your doctor may not call exactly at the time quoted by our staff members, please allow for up to a 30 minute grace period in case urgent matters come up for your doctor.
In-Office Visits
Our doctors are opening up more in-person appointments, while still complying with guidelines from WorkSafeBC, the College of Physicians and Surgeons, and Public Health around COVID-19. We are still conducting much of our appointments over the phone or virtually by video, services which have been much appreciated by many of our patients.
We are acutely aware of preventative care and less-urgent visits that have been postponed since the outbreak. Examples of these include overdue Pap tests, driver’s medical examinations, and routine health reviews. These continue to be postponed as we prioritize acute medical concerns. We await guidance from the government and WorkSafeBC on when we can safely resume these routine but less urgent visits.
We thank our patients for complying with our in-office protocols with grace and patience. We are now asking our patients to bring their own masks or non-medical face coverings to their appointments. Your cooperation is essential to ensure we minimize the risk of COVID-19 transmission within our office.
Portal
There has been outstanding interest in our online Portal options - the Accession website and especially the Aero smartphone app. The huge response has been unexpected (though encouraging!), and our staff is working hard to process the HUNDREDS of requests as quickly as possible. If you are waiting for a username and password, please allow up to 15 business days at this time to receive these.
Additionally, there have been some technical hiccups with the rollout of our app, which is unfortunately not within our control. We ask again for your patience as our developers smooth out the wrinkles. In the meantime, your Aero sign-in credentials are also valid on the Accession website where you are able to book appointments and request prescription refills. It is our hope that these growing pains early on pay off in the future.
Labs and Imaging Requisitions
Lab and imaging clinics have remained open through the pandemic, but are busier than ever as everyone is catching up on their missed tests. Due to the backlog of patients and paperwork being sent into various clinics, please note the following:
By far the most efficient way to get your requisitions to you is by email. To be able to send you emails with potentially sensitive health information, we need your consent. Fill out our online consent form here.
If you are not technologically savvy, we are able to fax in your requisition to a central LifeLabs receiving line however LifeLabs takes up to 48 hours to process faxes, so you will have to delay your bloodwork accordingly.
Radiology labs (Valley Medical Imaging, for example) are not accepting requisitions by fax UNLESS it is for an appointment our clinic has booked for you, as they are being inundated by faxes. X-rays are walk-in only therefore you must have your requisition in hand to have an x-ray done.