Zoom Licences
The Joint Standing Committee on Rural Issues is offering each rural physician and nurse practitioner in BC the option to have access to a Zoom for Healthcare licence. This tool allows you to virtually reach out to patients and peers during the COVID-19 public health crisis and into the future.
Understanding that no technological tool is perfect, RCCbc selected Zoom as the best option at this time mainly because of the platform’s stability and ease of use. Zoom allows for connectivity within patient’s homes, clinics, health centres, and hospitals. It can bridge multiple health providers to collaborate on patient care and support one another. Having a technological solution that harmonizes with our provincial partners is optimal. We believe our decision to use Zoom is an important step in this direction.
Concerned about using Zoom for your patient visits or colleague consults? Learn more about RCCbc’s Zoom for Healthcare licences. You can also read about Zoom and PIPEDA compliance.
If you have a platform that is working for you, feel free to continue using it.
Request a Zoom for Healthcare licence
Complete the online form to request a Zoom licence. If you have problems with the form, you can send an email to virtual@rccbc.ca with the following information:
- Full name
- Email address (preferably not a health authority email address)
- Phone number
- Community you support
- Community you live in
- MSP number
- If you are a GP, nurse practitioner, midwife, or specialist (and what specialty)
- Whether RCCbc can send you updates (yes/no)
Zoom Instructions
Once you have submitted your information, you will be contacted within 48 hours via the email you have provided (check your junk mail!) with an activation link for your licence.
Install Zoom
If you don’t already have it, download and install Zoom onto your computer, iPhone, and/or Android.
Activate your account
Within 48 hours of requesting an account, you’ll receive an email (remember to check your junk mail) with an activation link for your licence. Follow the Zoom Account Activation instructions.
Get started with Zoom
After you have activated your account, you can get started with Zoom.
If you signed up for a Zoom licence through RCCbc, all Real-Time Virtual Support (RTVS) pathways (RUDi, ROSe, CHARLiE, MaBAL, Dermatology, etc.) will be added to your Zoom contacts automatically.
Adding RTVS contacts
If your Zoom account was provided by your health authority or you signed up for your own account (outside of RCCbc), you will need to add the RTVS contacts to your account.
It may take up to 24 hours for your contact request to be accepted, so contacts will show as “pending” until then.
If you need assistance adding contacts, watch the video below. (The video shows how to add RUDi contacts – simply repeat these steps for the other pathways.)
Zoom basics
The video below provides an orientation to Zoom, including how to access Real-Time Virtual Support pathways, such as RUDi and ROSe.
Additional resources
- How to start a meeting
- Navigating during a meeting
- Guide for participants
- Inviting people into your waiting room
Request a consult through RTVS
Once logged in, go to Contacts, and click on the desired contact with the green symbol (meaning they are online and available). Then, click the Meet button to start a video call.
Questions
Please see our frequently asked questions. If you need further assistance, please email virtual@rccbc.ca.
Acknowledgements
This solution is being driven by rural doctors and the RCCbc team, under the leadership of Drs. John Pawlovich and Stefan Du Toit, both of whom have worked in this virtual space for a number of years. They work tirelessly with our provincial partners to provide clinical tools and expertise.
Thanks for all your work serving your communities in the many ways that you do. Please let us know if you have ideas of other ways the RCCbc can help you at this time.
