Virtual Care Consent

  

Niagara Falls Community Health Centre (NFCHC) is offering virtual care to continue to care for our clients safely and effectively.

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This means that we will be offering electronic communications for some client visits rather than asking clients to come into our office. Some of these technologies are provided by the Province. Others have been provided by third party vendors to help make discussions with your care provider as easy as possible.

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We do our best to make sure that any information you give to us during virtual care visits is private and secure, but no electronic communications tools (such as audio, video, email, text) are ever completely secure. There is an increased security risk that your health information may be intercepted or disclosed to third parties when using such electronic communications tools.

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To help us keep your information safe and secure, you can:

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• Understand that electronic communications (such as audio, video, email, text) you receive are not secure in the same way as a private appointment in an exam room.

• Use a private computer/device (i.e., not an employer’s or third party’s computer/device), secure personal email, and a secure internet connection (i.e. home internet network is generally more secure than an open guest Wi-Fi connection).

• You should also understand that virtual care is not a substitute for in-person communication or clinical examinations, and for any urgent care requests you would continue to call 911 or access the nearest Emergency Department.

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If you are concerned about using electronic communications for virtual care, you can ask our office to arrange an in-person alternative. Please click the button below for more information.