FAQ - Virtual Care

No. Please note that the definition of a dependent is your children under 21 years of age, or children 25 years of age or under if they're still in school, and your spouse.

The clinicians adhere to strict standards of practice, as required by their professional associations, as well as specific clinical guidelines for the safe provision of virtual healthcare services.

To determine a diagnosis, clinicians conduct an exhaustive review of your medical history, evaluate your symptoms, visually assess the images or videos obtained during medical consultations and perform diagnostic testing through lab analyses and diagnostic imaging. They're also specially trained in virtual healthcare and have the expertise needed to perform comprehensive virtual evaluations of their patients.

In cases where a physical exam is necessary, the clinicians will refer you to your family physician or help you identify a nearby clinic.

You can do it in the app, from the Profile tab.

For your spouse, just click on Invite partner and enter their personal email address; TELUS Health Virtual Care will send them an email inviting them to create their own account. Their information will remain confidential.

You can also add dependent children from the Profile tab by clicking on Manage Family Profiles and adding their information. Children who have reached the age of consent for healthcare (varies by province) may create their own account. To submit a request, just start a consultation and ask the healthcare professional to send an activation link to the child's email address. You can also add your spouse or dependents at any time in the Profile section. Please note that one of the registered parents must be with the child for all consultations.

If you have to remove access for a family member who is no longer eligible, just start a consultation and inform the healthcare professional that you'd like to make the change.

If the person is a dependent child, go to the Profile section of the platform and select Manage family profiles. Then select the X beside the name to remove them. Your child will still have access to their file, but they won't be able to obtain new consultations.

Yes, regardless of whether they are your children or your spouse's, as long as you are registered for TELUS Health Virtual Care.

During your first consultation, you'll be asked to fill out your medical record if you haven't already done so and present photo ID to confirm your identity.

First, you'll discuss your situation with a registered nurse. Depending on your situation, you may then be transferred to a nurse practitioner or physician. In over 80% of cases, the issue can be resolved virtually without an in-person visit.

If the consultation has to be interrupted for any reason (for example you lose your internet connection or you get a phone call), you can reconnect later. The clinicians have access to your history, and they can continue with the consultation.

For children who have not reached the age of consent for healthcare, their consultations must be done through your account or your spouse's account if your spouse has registered for TELUS Health Virtual Care. The child's medical notes from consults will be recorded in the parent's account (primary account holder and registered spouse) under the History tab.

With the clinician's authorization, children who have reached the age of consent for healthcare may create their own account.

If your child has not reached the age of consent for healthcare, you and your spouse will be able to access their file in the History section of your respective accounts if you're registered for TELUS Health Virtual Care.

If your child has reached the age of consent for healthcare and has their own account, their medical information will not be accessible to the parents.

Yes. Regardless of whether you use the app in French or English, you may request a consultation in either official language no matter which province or territory you live in.

The TELUS Health Virtual Care app is automatically set to the language you use on your mobile device. To change the language in the app, you must modify your device's language settings.

On the web portal, you can change your language preferences under Profile & Settings / Profile Settings / Language.

Nurse practitioners (NPs) have advanced university training as well as clinical experience, and they have passed rigorous exams. Like doctors, NPs practice independently and are authorized to diagnose patients, order and interpret diagnostic tests, and prescribe medication and other treatments.

All of the clinicians available through TELUS Health Virtual Care are Canadian healthcare professionals who are authorized to practice in their province or territory.

Learn more about nurse practitioners 5 things to know about Nurse Practitioners | TELUS. External link. Opens in a new window.

No. There's no limit to how often you and your immediate family members can use TELUS Health Virtual Care, or to how long your consults are.

Yes. The clinicians will have access to your information, and they'll be able to follow up on your health issue.

The clinician sends prescriptions directly to the pharmacy of your choice via online fax.

Lab requests will be sent to you by email, with your consent. You'll have to print them and present them at a service centre of your choice.

The clinician can send requests for specialist consultations to a specialist of your choice via online fax or they can send them to you by email. You'll have to print them and present them at a clinic of your choice.

Yes. If your condition requires you to miss work or school, the clinician will be able to provide you with a medical note valid for a maximum of three days.

The medical note is as valid as a doctor's note you would normally receive in person. Please note that your employer may still request additional information in accordance with the rules and practices that normally apply to sick leave.

If your condition continues or returns, the clinician will tell you to consult with your family doctor or a specialist.

If you require an immediate consultation while outside the country, you must contact the Travel Assistance service first. The terms of reimbursement for emergency medical fees are specified in your group insurance policy and may be subject to certain limits, restrictions or exclusions.

And while you can use the virtual care service anywhere in Canada, unfortunately, you cannot use it when you are outside Canada due to licensing restrictions for clinicians.

If the clinician determines that a video consultation is necessary, they will send you an authorization request by secure text message that you can accept.

A video consultation may be required to authenticate your identity.

You can ask the clinician to start a video consultation at any time.

When doing your video consultation, make sure you're in a private room with a high-speed internet connection.

No. If you look at your clinical consultations in the Consults tab, the text transcript will indicate whether you had a video conversation. However, the video will not be recorded or available.

A list of supported devices is provided in the FAQ on the mobile app/website.

You must authorize the app to send you notifications so you'll know when a clinician contacts you (for a follow-up consultation, for example).

You must also authorize access to your device's camera and microphone so you can send and receive photos and have video consultations.

To protect the confidentiality of your personal and medical information, your employer may require you to use a personal email address rather than a work address to access TELUS Health Virtual Care.

No, this is not required for the service. However, you'll need to provide photo ID for identification purposes when you start a consultation. You may have to provide your health card information if you require lab requisitions, tests or referrals.

During your first consultation, you'll need to provide photo ID so the TELUS Health Virtual Care clinician can authenticate your identity on video.

This information will confirm your identity and ensure that all consultations and observations provided by TELUS Health Virtual Care clinicians are based on your most recent medical history.

Yes. As with any other medical consultation, the clinicians need to have access to your most recent medical history to provide appropriate care during your consultation. We encourage you to fill out your medical profile as soon as you activate your account to ensure you're prepared when you request your first medical consultation.

All messages and images sent during a consultation are fully encrypted to guarantee confidentiality. Only patients and the clinician providing the care may access this data.

TELUS has procedures in place to ensure the confidentiality and protection of patient information in accordance with provincial laws and regulatory policies, including the guidelines of the professional bodies of physicians and nurses in each Canadian province.

No. Your personal health information will never be disclosed to your employer, Desjardins Insurance or any third party unless you explicitly request it in writing.

At your request and with your consent, the clinician can send notes from your medical consults to your doctor.

You can also share your interactions with the clinician with your doctor if you choose to do so. They are stored in the History section.

All you have to do is download the TELUS Health Virtual Care app on your new device.

You can sign in using the same email address and password.

The application is very simple and user-friendly. The clinician you speak to when you start a consultation will be able to help you with most questions about how to use the application.

If a technical issue arises, please contact the team at help@vc.telushealth.com.

If you have any questions about your eligibility or your group insurance coverage, please consult your group insurance booklet or contact your Human Resources department.

You'll be able to access your medical notes and consult transcripts if you leave your job, but you won't be able to use the app for new consultations.