Virtual meeting with the Oncology nurse

This page is intended for cancer patients, particularly those followed by an Oncology Pivot Nurse (OPN). To benefit from teleconsultation sessions (virtual meetings) with your OPN, please discuss it with her.

Patients already invited to a teleconsultation with an OPN can consult the page Participate in a teleconsultation as a patient to prepare for this meeting.

Description of the service

The role of the OPN is to assess, inform, support and coordinate. Many of these activities can take place both in person and remotely. The telephone is often used for remote follow-up. It enables patients to contact their nurse on a spontaneous or scheduled basis. Virtual meetings with video (teleconsultation) are another available means of consultation.

The benefits of teleconsultation:

• Enables the nurse to better assess the patient’s condition and provide the necessary explanations and teaching;
• Facilitates the participation of caregivers, who can join the meeting from their own homes;
• Reduces the inconvenience associated with travel: time, costs and energy required;
• Facilitates collaboration with other professionals on the cancer team by enabling them to join the teleconsultation.

Technology used

The Microsoft Teams application is used for teleconsultation video calls. Access to this application is free for patients. Those invited to a teleconsultation receive a link by e-mail. At the time of the appointment, they log in using a computer or mobile device.

In some institutions, other technological means are available to facilitate teleconsultation. These include the loan of a tablet. This can be offered to patients who do not have computer equipment or Internet access. If you are in this situation, ask your clinic if this is available.

Technical Support

For problems with the connection link or to cancel/change an appointment, contact the clinic or nurse who arranged the teleconsultation.

There is also a provincial support service for patients having a planned teleconsultation with a healthcare professional. Information and contact details for this service are available on the Technical support for patients page.

Tools and Documentation

The following video provides information and testimonials on the benefits of telehealth in follow-up with the OPN:

OPNs in the telehealth era – A success story (video in French) Les IPO à l’ère de la télésanté – témoignages de succès (6 min 15 s)

For step-by-step information on how to prepare for a teleconsultation, please consult the following page:

Participate in a teleconsultation as a patient