One in two patients finds a solution to their health problems during a visit to the mobile clinic of the Integrated Health and Social Services Center (CISSS) of the Montérégie Center. For the other half of patients whose health issues require more attention, the First Line Access Desk (GAP) is recommended. The mobile clinic team, which treats gastroenteritis, sore throats, myalgia, anxiety and diabetes, among other conditions, is working to improve its services and increase the number of patients treated per year. French Canada took a tour of the mobile clinic to better understand their work on site.

The mobile clinic is a frontline service consisting of a nurse and a paramedic. To receive a consultation at the mobile clinic, it is mandatory to make an appointment online via the Clic Santé portal or call the mobile clinic number 438 861-3376.

The duo’s expertise allows for the assessment and treatment of a non-exhaustive list of conditions. Since the clinic opened in July 2022, the team working there has cared for a total of 3,060 patients. For half of the patients, the mobile clinic is the first point of contact with the health system.

One contact person

“Fifty percent of patients whose needs are not being met go to a doctor, psychologist or other expert with a referral. When a person is disturbed, we can see them, calm them down and guide them to the right place. We will be their first point of contact to direct them to available resources,” says Jennyfer Chaloux, mobile clinic manager.

In addition to receiving and listening to patients, the mobile clinic nurse can also refer them to other healthcare professionals through the GAP. She is invited to work with pharmacists who have greater latitude in prescribing. The nurse is also in contact with some doctors who can help them in certain cases, such as treating an ear infection.

“We are a frontline service for those who have never seen a doctor, such as people who are homeless or do not have a GP. This makes it possible to relieve some of the clientele who might present themselves in the emergency room. We assume that with 18 patients per day we were able to avoid at least one visit to the emergency room. »claims Sylvain Bernier, head of operations and human resources at Ambulances Demers.

According to Ms Chaloux, the presence of the mobile clinic helps prevent or reduce the severity of the disease. This allows a person with a problem that could have escalated in two or three weeks to use the mobile clinic, thereby avoiding a trip to the emergency room. This is the case with ear infections or even more serious illnesses that can be detected in good time by the clinic nurse.

Work in the community

Since opening, the mobile clinic has made several changes to increase the number of users. She accepts patients of all ages and has been traveling to two additional communities since the spring.

The mobile clinic grew from 300 patients aged 65 and over in 2022 to 1,225 patients in the current year. “In the first year we made a lot of structural changes to the ambulance, the ramp and the stairs. We have reorganized our services to increase the number of patients. We have realigned the roles of each professional so as not to duplicate the steps. We are also now working with community organizations,” says Mr. Bernier.

The mobile clinic works with ten community organizations in the area, including Actions Dependances, Maison Hina and Le Spot, to be closer to the population. From now on, the vehicle will be parked close to the organization to better meet the needs of users. “We have made more contacts with organizations. We went to them to tell them about our services. We have reserved places every day for users of the Spot or Dependency promotions. We received very good comments from them. They really appreciate our service,” adds the head of the mobile clinic.

The clinic also addresses the needs of immigrant communities who do not have health insurance cards. According to nurse Émie St-Pierre, it is very gratifying to be able to go directly to people who normally do not have access to a doctor. “There are many stories from migrants that have touched me. I’ve had people come with their interpreter and we help them on a psychosocial level and in finding a doctor. We bring a human side and that makes all the difference,” notes the nurse.

New check-in terminal

A new check-in terminal will be installed at the entrance to the mobile clinic in the coming weeks. Users can then inform clinical staff of their arrival via a QR code that will be linked to each patient’s file, making the work of medical staff easier.