How to find a family doctor If you don’t have a family doctor, a better understanding of the ways to obtain one can simplify your research. www.westislandhssc.qc.ca According to the Fédération des médecins omnipraticiens, one person out of four in Québec does not have a family doctor. For any health problems, the first priority is to contact Info-Santé by dialing 811. If you have a family doctor, this is the person you should first speak to about your health needs. If you don’t have a family doctor, there are several ways to rectify the situation: 1) Your family Certain doctors whose practice is already full accept to take their patients’ family members. 2) The brochure entitled Access to Health Care in Your Neighbourhood and the telephone directory. The brochure, available in CLSCs and distributed every two years in homes within the catchment areas, describes the health services available on the West Island. You can contact the medical clinics listed or use the phone book to find clinics in your neighbourhood. Find out if they take on new patients or if they can enter your name on a waiting list. 3) New doctors Young doctors who arrive on the job market don’t always have an established clientele. Contact a few medical clinics to find out if these doctors take new patients. 4) Network clinics and other medical clinics offering services that do not require an appointment Walk-in clinics are for minor emergencies. Always call beforehand to find out if a doctor can see you. Try to always go to the same walk-in clinic. The medical team will have access to your medical records and is in a better position to help you in the long term. After a few consultations, if you don’t have a family doctor, ask the doctor who is seeing you or another doctor working in the clinic if he or she is willing to become your family doctor. Network clinics offer consultations without appointments, 365 days a year, 12 hours on weekdays and 8 hours on weekends and statutory holidays. These clinics offer services in cases of minor emergencies to the population and services with appointments to its clientele. The contact information for network clinics on the West Island is listed on the map in the brochure. Important note: The clinic may close access to walk-in services if the number of people in the waiting room exceeds its capacity. In emergency situations, network clinics can carry out certain medical tests and samplings on site or nearby and give patients more rapid access to radiology and medical specialists. One of their roles is to help vulnerable patients who contact them find a family doctor. The accepted vulnerability criteria are numerous and change over time. As an example, these include: • being 70 years or older • emphysema; • being diabetic • hypertension; • suffering from heart failure; • cancer. If one or more of these criteria apply to you, please make sure to always inform the general practitioners you consult in order to get a family doctor. If you’re not sure whether you should consult a physician in a network clinic, another walk-in clinic, or go directly to a hospital’s emergency department, contact Info-Santé at 811. A nurse is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to give you advice or direct you to the appropriate resources. At all times, do all you possibly can to facilitate the doctor’s work. The doctor will be able to better help you if you prepare a summary of your medical history. • Have your health insurance card on you • Describe your illnesses to the doctor in detail (symptoms, frequency, etc.) • Bring the results of your last analyses with you (blood test, urine analysis, etc.) if you have them • Describe your medical history since your last visit • Bring the list of medication you are taking and the prescribed doses, or bring your medication with you. Why must you present a list of all your medication? Health professionals must know exactly what medication you are taking at the time of consultation. This enables them to recommend a treatment that is appropriate to your health condition, to prevent the risk of allergy and drug interaction, and to avoid prescribing a medication that you are already taking. To be complete, your list of medication must include: • your prescribed drugs • your vitamins and dietary supplements • your over-the-counter drugs • the allergies you have to certain drugs • your natural health products Your pharmacist can provide you with a list of the drugs you are taking. Otherwise, ask your pharmacist to hep you prepare or update the list of drugs you are taking. Always have this list on hand and present it to the doctor or emergency department during your next visit. NETWORK CLINICS ON THE WEST ISLAND MEDISTAT MEDICAL CLINIC– 514 624-4774 4965 Saint-Pierre Street, Pierrefonds Monday to Friday: 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Saturday and Sunday: 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. STATCARE CLINIC– 514 694-9282 175 Stillview Avenue, Suite 104, Pointe-Claire Monday to Friday: 7:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Saturday and Sunday: 8:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. BRUNSWICK MEDICAL CENTRE – 514 426-6677 143 Avenue Frontenac, Pointe-Claire Monday to Friday: 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Saturday and Sunday: 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Knowing the services offered by network clinics on the West Island may save you a trip to the Emergency Department.