Equinoxe Relaunches the EQ Virtual Clinic to Improve Access to Health Care

EQvirtual.com stands to reduce wait times and improve access to health professionals

VANCOUVER, Feb. 23, 2016 /CNW/ - Equinoxe LifeCare, a health care management company with over 25 years of delivering care to patients in need, is pleased to announce the relaunch of its flagship Virtual Clinic, accessible at eqvirtual.com.

EQ Virtual has seen over 30,000 patients receive care via secure video visits through desktop and mobile applications. Industry-leading network security and patient-centric technology connect patients with their family doctors, specialists, and mental health professionals. Prescriptions and lab tests can also be initiated through the proprietary software, as well as referrals.

"EQVirtual.com represents our commitment to improving the health and wellness of Canadian families," said Daniel Martz, CEO of Equinoxe LifeCare. "We use the best personal care and telemedicine technology available to ensure that EQ Virtual doctors are giving personalized attention and more options to their patients."

Wait times for specialists and mental health professionals in BC continue to grow - in a December 2015 survey of 2,382 medical specialists the median wait time for patients was 22.4 weeks. "These figures are even more dramatic in remote and rural communities, where there are limited health care resources," said Martz.

"Anxiety and depression lead people to isolate themselves, stay at home, and avoid contact with the public. As such, it's hard for these patients to see a psychiatrist or mental health provider," said EQ Virtual Psychiatrist, Dr. Joris Wiggers. "People in those situations are in need of one-to-one virtual care. They can be in the privacy of their home on an Android or iPhone and communicate directly with their practitioner."

Equinoxe also works closely with organizations such as the Mainland BC Military Family Resource Centre. "Our MFRC covers a large geographic territory, the full southern half of the province, excluding Vancouver Island," said Tracy Cromwell, Executive Director. "Partnering with EQ Virtual made sense."

Service is available via EQvirtual.com from 6 am to 9 pm PST Monday to Friday, and 9 am to 3 pm PST on Saturday. During off hours, patients can leave a message and request a call, text, or email back from EQ Virtual Care Managers.

About Equinoxe LifeCare
Equinoxe LifeCare is an ISO 9001:2008 certified health care management company which has been in operation for 25 years. EQ Virtual, which is part of Equinoxe LifeCare's family of services, connects patients to healthcare providers, online, via private video, secure medical messaging, file sharing and patient care plans. Patients access the service through their computers and smartphones. EQ Virtual improves accessibility and continuity of care for its patients, and utilizes technology that helps contribute to greater collaboration within care teams. EQ Virtual can be accessed at eqvirtual.com.

SOURCE Equinoxe LifeCare

Whitney Stanford, 604-505-9073, [email protected]