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April 28, 2016 - 10:30 AM
KELOWNA – Three walk-in clinics in the Kelowna area have begun posting wait times on a new B.C. based website designed to help patients get the care they need faster and with less hassle.
The website, MediMap.ca, was created by two men from Vancouver and launched in White Rock last year. Two clinics in Kelowna and one in West Kelowna have already signed up and are updating their expected wait times every 15 minutes, according to the site.
Walk-in clinics will update the site themselves as often as they can, allowing patients to search either by their location or by city.
Blake Adam and Jonathan Clark launched the site in September.
“We understand how frustrating it can be to travel to a walk-in clinic only to find that they are no longer accepting patients for the day,” the website says. “Calling various clinics in the area is a waste of time for both you and the clinic staff.”
West Kelowna Walk-In and Family Practice on Louie Drive, Medi-Kel Walk-In Clinic on Baron Road and Spall Medical Clinic & Walk-in on Harvey Avenue are each posting their wait times and hours of operation on the site, and Adam is hopeful more will follow suit.
The benefits, according to the site, are numerous and include freeing up staff time by reducing the number of calls they receive about wait times, deferring patient visits when the clinic is too busy and attracting patients when doctors are available. The site will also be useful for identifying wait time trends and staffing efficiency across the province.
Clinic staff manages all of the information, and although wait times are updated frequently, they are estimates only and can change rapidly, the site warns.
MediMap.ca is free to use for both patients and clinical staff. Kelowna is the first Interior city where clinics are currently participating.
“Through the use of technology and by partnering with like-minded health care providers, we are making clinic wait times easily accessible for patients,” the site says. “Our mission is to improve access to care for Canadians and contribute towards an overall better patient experience.”
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News from © iNFOnews, 2016