Barbara Latkowski
Caledonia Courier
Medical specialists in the northern region of B.C. wanted change.
They were frustrated with the risk to their patients with long travel times to Prince George for care.
Additionally, rural and remote general practitioners felt isolated when trying to reach specialists for consultation.
In 2011, the RACE Line came to be. It was developed as part of the Northern Partners in Care initiative, a partnership of doctors in B.C. and the B.C. government.
RACE stands for Rapid Access to Consultative Expertise. It is a direct telephone line that provides GP’s with a direct access to specialists for quick and easy advice regarding their patients.
For Dr. Dan Horvat, it’s all about being able to provide quality care in Northern B.C.
Both he and Dr. Haidar Hadi received the Health and Innovator of the Year Award in November 2015 for their work in developing THE Race Line, a mechanism to improve communication with their colleagues for a more coordinated approach to the shared care of their patients.
“This is the aim. RACE supports patients with the highest quality care in Northern B.C.,” Horvat said.
Horvat, an Assistant Professor in the Dept. of Family Medicine within the Northern Medical Program at the University of British Columbia has also been appointed as a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Medicine at U.B.C. He is also a family physician with 20 years of experience in urban and rural settings.
Horvat, who currently resides in Prince George, is familiar with the struggles and feelings of isolation GP’s in northern communities experience from time to time.
“This program has helped GP’s receive support and timely access to specialists in Northern B.C. and this has been so helpful to them,” Horvat said.
How does the program work?
GP’s wishing to seek advice from a specialist call a 1-800 hotline to be connected directly to the specialist service they require.
“In the beginning, we just started with cardiology but now we have 13 different specialties in the service,” says Horvat.
Once the call is made, the GP receives a call back from a specialist within two hours or sooner. A quick diagnosis treatment, medication and any other helpful advice is given regarding a patient’s care. Calls average about 5-15 minutes in length.
According to Horvat, the benefits have been overwhelming and the program has received excellent feedback.
“It has been beneficial for G.P’s especially those working in remote or rural communities to get the rapid access that their patients need.”
Patients too are receiving care more quickly and in many cases, a phone call was all that was necessary and a referral not even required. This has saved many from the burden of travelling to Prince George for an appointment with a specialist.
Northern Partners in Care is funded by the Shared Care Committee, a partnership of Doctors of B.C. and the B.C. government. NPIC is dedicated to helping northern families and specialist physicians improve access to quality care in Northern B.C.
For more information regarding the RACE Line and NPIC visit: www.northernpartnersincare.ca