Fraser Health opens B.C.’s first virtual psychiatry unit

The Virtual Psychiatry Unit allows patients who can manage at home to receive psychiatric interventions. Patients are admitted to the unit through the ER or Inpatient Psychiatry Unit and they connect with psychiatrists, psychologists, nurses, general practitioners, peer support workers and social workers via video chat, phone calls and instant messaging. Their vital signs are monitored remotely and clinicians access the data on their laptops. Fraser Health says this model of care works well for many people, including post-partum mothers as well as young adults experiencing mental health concerns for the first time. The unit can support up to eight patients at a time.