Frequently Asked Questions
- What is Health Line?
- What is not provided?
- What is the Poison Information Line?
- What is the Sexually Transmitted Infections Line?
- Is Health Line the same service as Tele-Care Health Line?
- What is "telephone-triage"?
- What kind of information can I get?
- Can I receive help or advice about mental health issues or suicide?
- Is Health Line the same service as NWT Help Line? What is NWT Help Line?
- Why do we need Health Line?
- What is the difference between calling Health Line and calling the local health centre?
- How can a Health Line nurse help me with family support issues like marriage counselling and depression?
- Can I use Health Line while I’m out of the NWT?
- Can I use Health Line if I don't speak English?
- Can I use Health Line if I have hearing or speaking difficulties?
- When I phone Health Line, who will answer my call?
- What kinds of questions will the nurse ask me?
- Do I still need to see my nurse, social worker or doctor?
- Can I get a prescription from Health Line?
- What if all the nurses are busy?
- How do I know I can trust the information I get from Health Line?
- Where are the Health Line nurses located?
- Why isn't this service based in the NWT?
- How will the nurses know about the cultural needs in the NWT?
- Do other Canadians use telephone nursing services?
- If other provinces have a health emergency, will that mean the telephone nurses won’t be available to NWT residents?
- Can I call back and talk to the same nurse?
- Why does Health Line keep a file on me? Who sees this information?
- Who do I talk to if I have a concern or question about this service or want to provide positive feedback?
Health Line is a free, confidential telephone service that you can use to get advice from a registered nurse. Nurses are available to help day or night - 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and 365 days a year. You can call anytime and as many times as you need. By calling 1-888-255-1010 you can receive service in all of the official languages of the NWT as well as many other languages from around the world. If you are hearing impaired, you can also access Health Line by calling the TDD/TTY number (1-888-255-8211). You can call either number, even if your long distance phone service is blocked (strapped).
The nurse will assess your situation by asking various questions and help you decide which steps to take next. They can help you take care of yourself, offer re-assurance that you are doing the right thing or direct you to the appropriate facility within your community.
Health Line also offers Poison Information and, questions, concerns and/or information about Sexually Transmitted Infections.
Health Line is designed to help individuals take control of their health, ask questions and discuss their concerns with a knowledgeable, caring nurse who is able to assist with assessing the situation and suggest care options including self-care.
Health Line is not an emergency based service. If you have an emergency you need to contact your local emergency service.
What is the Poison Information Line?
By calling the same number (1-888-255-1010), you can receive support and information specific to health issues related to poison information, triage and referral services. Non-emergent poison cases will be handled through the Health Line and empower the client to engage in self-care when appropriate.
What is the Sexually Transmitted Infections Line?
The Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI) Information Line is how you can receive support, information, triage and referral services specific to health issues related to sexually transmitted infections. The STI line provided increased support to residents and acts proactively in providing knowledge about healthy sexual lifestyles. To access the STI line you call the same number (1-888-255-1010).
Is Health Line the same service as Tele-Care Health Line?
Yes. This service has gone through a series of name changes. The service was initially known as Tele-Care NWT, then Tele-Care Health Line and as of 2009 the service is known as Health Line.
Telephone triage (tele-triage) or, Telecare, is a telephone service provided by registered nurses that have clinical knowledge, assessment and communication skills, critical thinking and informed decision making. 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
Can I receive help or advice about mental health issues or suicide?
If you have a question or concern about mental health issues, the nurse can discuss this with you and suggest the most appropriate resource available to you in your home community. If the caller indicates they are in a crisis (such as suicide), the Health Line nurse is able to make a three-way call and connect you with the appropriate service and/or support within your community.
Is Health Line the same service as NWT Help Line? What is NWT Help Line?
No. Health Line is not the same service as Help Line.
NWT Help line is a confidential telephone support and referral service for callers who reside in the Northwest Territories. You can call if you are having personal problems or if you have questions or concerns about AIDS/HIV. NWT Help Line provides information, support, and referral services. You can call between 7:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. any night of the week. Your call will be completely confidential, which means no one will know that you have called and talked about your personal problems.
During the hours that the line does not have a live volunteer, a 24 hour interactive voicemail system handles callers. There are three in-bound telephone lines, two local Yellowknife numbers and a 1-800 toll free line that can be accessed by all communities within the Northwest Territories.
Toll Free: 1-800-661-0844
Phone: (867) 873-9903 or (867) 873-4903
Website: www.nwthelpline.ca
This service provides access to health information and advice from nurses whenever you need it and 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.
What is the difference between calling Health Line and calling the local health centre?
Health Line and your local health centre are able to offer similar advice and expertise. However, because Health Line is not an emergency based service, the nurses on staff will be able to answer your calls in the manner that they are received - and wait times are very minimal (<1 second). Conversely, nurses within local health centres may have other patients requiring immediate attention. In this way, Health Line is ideal for answering questions that are not emergencies.
A Health Line nurse can refer you to family support organizations and services in your community.
Can I use Health Line while I’m out of the NWT?
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 Health Line. The only exception is an NWT registered cell phone, which can continue to access the service from locations outside the NWT.
Can I use Health Line if I don't speak English?
Yes. The Health Line 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. There is also a direct TTY number for people with hearing or speaking difficulties: 1-888-255-8211.
Can I use 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.
When I phone 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.
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 Health Line.
Do I still need to see my nurse, social worker or doctor?
Health Line does not replace your nurse, social worker or doctor. However, the line can help you to decide 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 Health Line can give advice and tips for looking after yourself at home.
Can I get a prescription from Health Line?
No. You cannot get a prescription through this service. However, Health Line can provide you with information about medications.
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 time of your 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.
How do I know I can trust the information I get from 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.
Where are the 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.
Why isn't this service based in the NWT?
When the service contract was awarded there were no northern based or NWT companies that submitted a bid to do this work. The company hired to run Health Line has expertise and an established track record in providing this type of service to jurisdictions and agencies.
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 provides information and advice about what should be in the training. NWT nurses also provided the staff with first hand information and experience. There are a few of the nurses working on the line who have worked in the north. They are able to provide the nurses with information about their experience and knowledge. Ongoing orientation and support will continue with the staff.
Do other Canadians use telephone nursing services?
Yes. There are similar services throughout the rest of Canada.
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 most likely 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.
Can I call back and talk to the same nurse?
When you call back to Health Line 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 Health Line.
Why does 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 working at the centre 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.
You can contact:
- Health Line directly;
- your local health care provider; or the
- Health Line Project Coordinator
- Phone: (867) 873-7039
- Fax: (867) 873-0196