Tele-Care

	Free, Confidential Health Advice Access to Bilingual Registered Nurses 24 hours a day, 7 days a week via toll-free phone lines
	Information, symptom triage, and health advice related to the H1N1 flu virus: Call toll-free 1-800-580-0038

As part of the Provincial Health Plan, Transforming New Brunswick's Health-care System, the government is committed to providing quality, accessible primary health care services to New Brunswickers such as Tele-Care Services.

When you call Tele-Care, you will be asked to describe your symptoms and answer questions to best assess the seriousness of the problem.

Based on the assessment, the Registered Nurse will provide information, education, advice on self-care, or can help you decide whether to make an appointment with your doctor, go to a clinic, contact a community service or go to a hospital emergency room.

Services include:

• the Tele-Care line (1-800-244-8353) provides triage and advice for non-urgent symptom-specific health conditions;
  
  
• H1N1 flu virus -- For advice on self-care or when to seek further care, call 1-800-580-0038. The line is available 24/7 to provide information on self-care, immunization, treatment locations and preventative measures;
  
  
• the Poison Information line (accessed through the Emergency 911 line) provides high-priority response with poison information to New Brunswick residents and health providers and facilities;
  
  
• the Rabies Information line (1-877-372-2437) provides callers with information and advice on rabies and rabies exposure, as well as rabies-specific referrals to other government departments and services;
  
  
• the West Nile Virus/Avian Influenza Information line (1-800-580-0038) provides information about the virus, the risk of exposure, and WNV-specific referrals to government departments and services;
  
  
• Gambling Information Line (1-800-461-1234) provides problem gamblers, their families and/or others affected by problem gambling, with information related to problem gambling and/or referrals for help.
  
  
• Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI) Information Line (1-877-784-1010) provides accurate general information on STI’s (including HIV/AIDS) and blood borne pathogens (i.e., Hepatitis C) as well as information on existing regional, provincial and national services and how to access them. Referral service to community resources is available.
  
  
• Organ and Tissue Donor Screening Line provides an initial screening for referrals of potential organ and tissue donors. This is a dedicated line for health care professionals in hospitals. Contact the Organ Donor Co-ordinator in your local hospital.

Tele-Care nurses use standardized clinical guideline software to triage calls and rapidly identify callers’ needs. Through a telephone interview that lasts an average of 10 minutes, the nurse collects pertinent information and assesses client needs. The nurse provides symptom-specific information for self-care when appropriate or offers information that assists the caller in choosing an appropriate source of care for their symptoms or situation. The department monitors Tele-Care Services on a monthly basis to ensure that provincial performance standards are being met.