Don't Have A Family Doctor? - Brad Trivers - Blog, Featured, Health and Wellness

Don’t have a family doctor? Did you know that doctors who see you with “virtual care” through the “Maple” service can refer you to Primary Care Clinics where you can be seen in person? Just follow the steps below. This is known as Virtual Health Care for Islanders Without a Primary Care Provider.

UPDATE March 7, 2023: Maple will now be free for all Islanders – with or without a family doctor – to reduce the pressure on Emergency Departments and clinics. See press release at:

https://www.peipc.ca/pc_party_releases_plan_to_reduce_pressures_on_emergency_departments_and_bolster_ambulance_services_on_pei

1. Get On the Patient Registry

If you don’t have a family doctor the first thing to do is get on the Patient Registry. You need to do this to get access to virtual care and the primary care access clinics. Do that online at this link or https://www.princeedwardisland.ca/en/information/health-pei/patient-registry-program, or call 1-855-563-2101.

NOTE: If your former family doctor is listed on the Access to Care web page, then your Health Card number has already been added to the Health PEI Maple virtual care service roster. So you can go to Step 2 and register for virtual care right away.

2. Register for Virtual Care (Maple)

Go to the virtual care registration site. You will need your PEI Health Card number.

IMPORTANT: Your information must already be in Maple’s roster before you can register with them to access services, and this is why Step 1 must be completed first.

ALSO IMPORTANT: A Health PEI logo should appear at the top of the registration page. Do not register using the Maple-24/7 Online Doctors App on a mobile phone or tablet. (Once registered you can download the app provided free from Google Play or the Apple App Store.)

If you have trouble, you can contact the Virtual Care Technical Support Desk by phone at 1-855-506-3963 or by email at virtualcare@ihis.org

3. Request A Virtual Visit Using Maple

Select “Sign in” from the homepage and sign in with your email and password.

Select “Get care.”

Follow the instructions.

Receive a response from a family doctor.

You can get more detailed information on the web page “Virtual Health Care for Islanders without a Primary Care Provider FAQ“.

4. Get Seen In Person At A Primary Care Clinic

The only way to do this is through a referral to a Primary Care Clinic from the doctor you have your virtual visit with. They have to determine that you need to be seen in person.

This is what it says in the government news release:

“However, some people who log in to the virtual care service are unable to complete their virtual visit, as they need to see a care provider in person, due to the nature of their medical concern. With the soft launch of these clinics a few weeks ago, patients who cannot be treated virtually may now be referred to one of two in-person primary care clinics, located in Charlottetown and Summerside.

The clinics provide access to nurse practitioners, physicians and other health-care providers to meet primary health-care needs. These access clinics, similar to initiatives such as Pharmacy Plus, will provide additional access points for Islanders seeking primary care.”

Here is the full news release: https://www.princeedwardisland.ca/en/news/two-primary-care-access-clinics-added-to-provide-additional-options-for-accessing-health-care