Virtual Care Video Appointments
A virtual care video appointment is a meeting with a member of your health care team that is done using a computer, tablet, or smartphone. You can have this appointment in the comfort of your own home, or a location of your choosing using an internet connection.
St. Mary’s General and Grand River hospitals have partnered to offer virtual care video appointments using Cisco WebEx.
Virtual care cannot replace the need for a physical examination. Urgent care should be in-person, or at an Emergency Department.
Have an upcoming virtual care appointment? Scroll to the bottom of this page for additional resources.
How do I book a virtual care appointment?
Your health care team will help you decide if a virtual care appointment is right for you. This will depend on a number of factors, including your care needs, the technology you have, and whether a physical exam is required. While some appointments can be virtual, other times appointments must be done in person. Additionally, not all clinics are currently offering virtual appointments.
Is a virtual appointment secure?
We work hard to ensure your virtual care appointment and personal health information is kept private and confidential. However, no digital communication is completely secure and there are risks. Before setting up an appointment for a virtual care appointment, we will review the risks and benefits with you and ask for your consent to participate.
Can I decline a virtual appointment?
We will always ask for your consent to participate in a virtual care appointment, and you can decline at any time by contacting the clinic via phone.
If you change your mind and would like to switch to an in-person appointment, please call your clinic. It is important to know that changing from a virtual visit to an in-person visit may result in a longer wait time.
Virtual care resources (all open as PDF documents):
Patient WebEx Virtual Care Appointment user guide
Questions
If you have concerns about any information and/or links being emailed to you, you can contact the clinic by telephone to confirm that this information has in fact come from the clinic.
Please call your clinic if you have any questions about your virtual care appointment.