Qikiqtani hospital tests same-day patient care

Maggie Ukaliannuk works as clerk-interpreter at Qikiqtani General Hospital’s new “rapid access clinic.” She says the new clinic has been successful at helping patients get same-day care. The clinic is nearing the end of a three-month pilot project, but is expected to continue. (PHOTO BY DEAN MORRISON)

People in Iqaluit who need to see a doctor about urgent non-emergency medical issues have a new option at the Qikiqtani General Hospital.

The hospital is testing a new “rapid access clinic,” in a pilot project created to divert patients with urgent matters from the emergency room.

“Before we had people sitting in emergency for a long time because they needed a prescription refilled or they had a sore throat,” said Darlene MacPherson, director of clinical services at the QGH.

“This is pulling those clients away from emergency and diverting them to where they should be.”

Maggie Ukaliannuk, the rapid clinic’s clerk-interpreter, says the pilot project has been a huge success in lowering stress for patients and staff.

“It was very stressful before, because we couldn’t give everyone the appointments that they wanted,” Ukaliannuk said.

“Now everybody is happy, and if everybody is happy, we are happy.”

Until now, patients wishing to see a doctor about a non-emergency medical matter could try to make an appointment at the hospital’s regular clinic — but there were no guarantees of same-day service.

Their other option was to register at the emergency room and wait there until higher priority cases were seen first.

This often produced long waits and tied up already stretched resources.

The new clinic allows patients to be seen on a first-come, first served basis, with patients registering with the on-duty clerk or over the phone.

The first six clients are given a number and told to sit down.

They are seen in the first hour. The next six people are told to come back an hour later to be be seen in the order in which they first arrived, MacPherson said.

The clinic, open between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday to Friday, handles about 30 patients a day.

The pilot project, which began in December, will wrap up at the end of February, when an evaluation will be done.

Hospital managers already considering options for expanding the clinic’s hours or dedicating another doctor to the program to increase patient volume, MacPherson said.

They’re also looking at the option of using weekend or evening hours, she said.

Patients who need longer procedures, such as physical examinations or the monitoring of a health condition are asked to make regular appointments.