Health system use and outcomes of urgently triaged callers to a nurse-managed telephone service for provincial health information after initiation of supplemental virtual physician assessment: a descriptive study.

Background: British Columbia's 8-1-1 telephone service connects callers with nurses for health care advice. As of Nov. 16, 2020, callers advised by a registered nurse to obtain in-person medical care can be subsequently referred to virtual physicians.

Integration of virtual physician visits into a provincial 8-1-1 health information telephone service during the COVID-19 pandemic: a descriptive study of HealthLink BC Emergency iDoctor-in-assistance (HEiDi).

Background: British Columbia, like many jurisdictions, has a health information telephone service (8-1-1) to provide callers with information by registered nurses and help them decide whether to attend an emergency department or primary care clinic, or manage their concern at home. We describe a new service, HealthLink BC Emergency iDoctor-in-assistance (HEiDi), that partnered physicians available by videoconferencing with 8-1-1 registered nurses to support callers.

Methods: From Apr.