Frequently Asked Questions
- Can I call back and talk to the same nurse?
- Can I get a prescription from Tele-Care Health Line?
- Can I use Tele-Care Health Line if I don’t speak English?
- Can I use Tele-Care Health Line if I have hearing or speaking difficulties?
- Can I use Tele-Care Health Line while I’m out of the NWT?
- Do I still need to see my nurse, social worker or doctor?
- Do other Canadians use telephone nursing services?
- How can a nurse at Tele-Care Health Line help me with family support issues like marriage counselling and depression?
- How do I know I can trust the information I get from Tele-Care Health Line?
- How will the nurses know about the cultural needs in the NWT?
- If other provinces have a health emergency, will that mean the telephone nurses won’t be available to NWT residents?
- Tele-Care Health Line?
- What if all the nurses are busy?
- What is “telecare”?
- What kind of information can I get?
- What kinds of questions will the nurse ask me?
- What’s the difference between calling Tele-Care Health Line and calling the local health centre?
- When I phone Tele-Care Health Line, who will answer my call?
- Where are the Tele-Care Health Line nurses located?
- Who do I talk to if I have a concern or question about this service or want to provide positive feedback?
- Why do we need Tele-Care Health Line?
- Why does Tele-Care Health Line keep a file on me? Who sees this information?
- Why isn’t this service based in the NWT?
Can I call back and talk to the same nurse?
You can call back to Tele-Care Health Line, however you will be connected to the next available nurse. You will not be able to request to speak with a specific nurse. If you have an ongoing health or a social problem that needs attention, you should make regular appointments with your local nurse, social worker or doctor instead of calling Tele-Care Health Line.
Can I get a prescription from Tele-Care Health Line?
No. You cannot get a prescription through this service. However, Tele-Care Health Line can provide you with information about medications.
Can I use Tele-Care Health Line if I don’t speak English?
Yes. The service is available in English and French, and there is translation support for all of the NWT official languages, as well as over 100 languages from around the world.
Can I use Tele-Care Health Line if I have hearing or speaking difficulties?
Yes. If you have hearing or speaking difficulties, there is a direct TTY number: 1-888-255-8211.
Can I use Tele-Care Health Line while I’m out of the NWT?
Tele-Care Health Line can only be accessed from an NWT registered phone number. This includes phone lines from a household or business located in the NWT, and NWT registered cell phones. If you are calling from a phone location outside the NWT, you cannot access Tele-Care Health Line. The only exception is an NWT registered cell phone, which can continue to access the service from locations outside the NWT.
Do I still need to see my nurse, social worker or doctor?
Tele-Care Health Line does not replace your nurse, social worker or doctor. However, the line can help you to know when you need to go to the health centre or hospital, and when you can manage your symptoms at home. For example, most people who have a cold or the flu don’t need to see a nurse or doctor. The nurses at Tele-Care Health Line can give advice and tips for looking after yourself at home.
Do other Canadians use telephone nursing services?
Yes. There are similar services throughout the rest of Canada.
Tele-Care Health Line can refer you to family support organizations and services in your community.
How do I know I can trust the information I get from Tele-Care Health Line?
The nurses are qualified to practice nursing in the NWT. They are part of the Registered Nurses Association of the Northwest Territories and Nunavut.
These nurses have received specialized clinical training to provide health advice and assessment over the phone. They also use a computer database that tells them which family health and support services are available in NWT communities. This means nurses provide high quality health advice that is tailored to the needs of NWT callers. In addition, a nursing supervisor provides support and coaching to the team of nurses answering the phone.
How will the nurses know about the cultural needs in the NWT?
The nurses receive training on how to identify and respond to cultural differences. They understand the need to respect cultural differences and to respond accordingly. The GNWT’s Department of Health and Social Services provided information and advice about what should be in the training. NWT nurses also provided the staff with first hand information and experience. Ongoing orientation and support will continue with the staff.
No. There are enough nurses to handle calls, even when there are health emergencies in other places receiving services by this company. In unusual situations, you may have to wait up to 30 minutes to talk to a nurse. This is still probably quicker than the time it would take to talk to a local nurse or doctor. Of course, if you have an emergency - or think you do - you should seek help within your community right away.
Tele-Care Health Line is a free, confidential telephone service you can use to get advice from a nurse. You can call anytime you want and as many times as you need. The nurse will ask you about your problem and help you decide your best first step. We can help you take care of yourself or find someone in your community who can help you.
What if all the nurses are busy?
Usually you will be able to talk to a nurse right away. If there are many other callers at the same time you call, you can either wait for the next available nurse, or give your number to a receptionist. A nurse will call you back within half an hour.
Telecare, or “telephone triage”, is a telephone service provided by registered nurses. During a call, nurses may:
- review a caller’s symptoms;
- explore options for attention, care, or support from a health or social services professional;
- provide self-care information; or
- educate a caller about family health and supports, or other resources that might be used.
What kind of information can I get?
You can talk about any health and family support issue, such as:
- Symptoms that are worrying you
- Family counselling needs
- Injuries
- Addictions
- General health issues
What kinds of questions will the nurse ask me?
Many people who call have medical symptoms. The nurse will ask several questions to find out how severe the symptoms are. Based on your response, the nurse will help you to decide the best first steps. You may be asked to make an appointment with your nurse, social worker or doctor; go to the health centre or hospital; or contact a community service. The nurse may also identify self-care you can do at home. You can call back at any time if you have further questions or if your symptoms change.
If you are calling for information about a topic or service available, the nurse will ask questions to confirm your interest. The nurse can then identify who you can talk to or where you can find more information. This may include information topics that are available on the phone through Tele-Care Health Line.
What’s the difference between calling Tele-Care Health Line and calling the local health centre?
You will probably get the same advice from this phone service as you would from your local nurse or doctor. However, with Tele-Care Health Line you may be able to get advice faster because your local health care provider may have other patients with more serious health conditions that need to be seen first. Tele-Care Health Line is ideal for answering questions that are not emergencies.
When I phone Tele-Care Health Line, who will answer my call?
You will first hear a recorded announcement that will ask you to choose your preferred language. A second recorded announcement will then advise you to hang up the phone if you have an emergency and contact your community’s emergency services. If you remain on the line, you will usually be connected to a registered nurse right away. If all the nurses are busy on other calls, a receptionist will take your phone number and a nurse will call you back within 30 minutes. You can also choose to wait on “hold” for the next nurse.
Where are the Tele-Care Health Line nurses located?
The team of nurses answering the phone work out of offices located in New Brunswick. Another office in Northern Ontario may also provide services. These nurses work for a company that specializes in providing this type of service to residents of New Brunswick and Ontario as well as other agencies in Canada.
You can contact:
- Tele-Care Health Line directly;
- your local health care provider;
- Tele-Care Health Line Project Coordinator
- Phone: (867) 873-7039
- Fax: (867) 873-0196; or
- the NWT Liaison
- Phone: (867) 873-5525
- Fax: (867) 669-7153.
Why do we need Tele-Care Health Line?
This is a service that provides you with access to health information whenever you need it, wherever you live in the NWT. It builds on primary community services currently available and offers round-the-clock advice and access to information from registered nurses.
Why does Tele-Care Health Line keep a file on me? Who sees this information?
Every call is treated with the same professional confidentiality as when you see a nurse or doctor at a health centre or medical clinic. All of the information is stored electronically in a secure environment and only registered nurses can access the file.
You have the right to remain anonymous when you call. Non-identifying information will be collected for the purposes of understanding how this service is being used by NWT residents, and how it can be improved. You may wish to provide additional personal information, like your name, that would permit the nurses to establish an electronic file for you. Should you call again, the nurse can retrieve your file to find out what you have called about and what information was provided to you at that time. This gives the nurse more information about how to help you with your current request.
Why isn’t this service based in the NWT?
No NWT companies submitted a bid to do this work. The company hired to run Tele-Care Health Line has expertise and an established track record in providing this type of service to jurisdictions and agencies.