Increasing Primary Care Access Close to Home for Residents of Remote Communities in Northern Alberta.
Residents of Canada's rural and remote communities know the challenges associated with accessing consistent healthcare. Alberta Health Services uses telehealth technology to minimize travel for rural and remote residents who require follow-up with specialists, however until recently, telehealth was only used in specialty care. This article describes a pilot project introduced in two remote northern Alberta communities to determine the feasibility and sustainability of using telehealth in the delivery of primary healthcare. Included in the article are descriptions of each phase of the project from seeking stakeholder approval through interpretation of findings and continuation of the project after it was determined successful. Jurisdictions interested in attempting their own telehealth program will be interested in the challenges and successes identified during the process. Although the project was successful, further studies are needed to determine if similar findings could be expected in other communities and populations.
A. Alison Ross is a family/all ages nurse practitioner at the Slave Lake Family Care Clinic with a passion for high-quality, cost-effective care for Canadians, which led her to pursue a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree at Duke University. The majority of her career has been spent working in rural and remote communities in Canada's north.
A Alison
AA
Ross
Tracey L. Yap, RN, PhD, FAAN is an associate professor in Duke University School of Nursing, and is a senior Fellow of the Duke University Center for the Study of Aging and Human Development.
Tracey L
TL
Yap
Johan van Der Nest is a registered occupational therapist with more than 25 years of clinical and leadership experience in South Africa, the US and Canada. He has resided in Canada since 1999, and is the manager of the Slave Lake Family Care Clinic, which received a 2014 Alberta Health Services President's Award nomination.
Johan van Der
JV
Nest
Keith Martin is a full-service family practitioner providing cradle-to-the-grave family medicine services. He is currently the medical director of the Slave Lake Family Care Clinic as well as the community medical director.
Keith
K
Martin
Alison H. Edie is a family nurse practitioner with extensive experience in the primary care of underserved populations. Her research interests are in understanding the issues and concerns of vulnerable populations with a focus on self-efficacy and health promotion practices of women and adolescents.
Alison H
AH
Edie
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000416:Alberta; D002648:Child; D005246:Feedback; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D044382:Population Groups; D011320:Primary Health Care; D012424:Rural Population; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D017216:Telemedicine / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D055815:Young Adult