Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'd like to ask next questions to the Minister of Health and Social Services around virtual care. So I understand that for several years, small community health centres and hospitals have had technology to conduct virtual appointments, essentially Zoom for health care and big screens for video conferences, and there's also work happening here and there to test out specific new virtual tools. So my first question is around the recent purchase of virtual stethoscopes and otoscopes for use by community health workers in the health cabins.
What was the rationale for deciding that those particular pieces of equipment were the top priority for expanding virtual care? For example, are they proven to improve diagnoses or reduce the need of medical travel, etcetera. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member from Yellowknife North. Minister of Health and Social Services.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, our community health workers that work in our smallest communities, they aren't medically trained; therefore, the digital stethoscopes and otoscopes were chosen because they are simple to use, and these tools are a standard for basic primary care assessment and so the nurse that they're -- that will be hearing and seeing from the other end virtually is what they would need to be able to -- like, you know, to be able to diagnose what's going on with the patient or to help better virtually diagnose. And as I said that they're also working with -- yes, so those are the first kind of tools that we -- they're implemented now, just to get those community health workers used to it and used to working virtually right now. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So the Minister spoke about primary care, but what virtual tools are available for community health workers if they have someone with an acute care issue, so if they have a patient in their trauma room with some sort of emergency issue. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the community health workers are also trained in first aid. They have been trained now in administering oxygen. They are trained in the use of the AED. Further emergency care, health care in cabins is -- required is coordinated with the community health nurse or the nurse practitioner that's either in the community or in another community at the time. The decisions for emergency care are made by the regional health centres and may include parent movement, so -- but this -- these virtual tools actually help a nurse that can visualize and then using those virtual other tools will be able to -- you know, to be able to give recommendations for that health care worker when there's oxygen needed or whether, you know, other measures that they're trained now to do to implement while they're awaiting for maybe emergency evacuation. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister of Health and Social Services. Member from Yellowknife North. Final supplementary.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'd like to know, finally, overall what is the plan for developing a virtual care strategy to ensure that instead of sort of just here and there, we're introducing virtual tools in a methodical way based on what the highest priority needs are. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As of right now, I believe because we are doing the pilot in the smallest of our communities, there isn't a standalone virtual care strategy. There's multiple different pilots that are going on in regards to virtual care, but they -- the virtual care projects all go through an information system intake process to keep technology changes coordinated and intentional. Work is already underway to improving existing virtual tools like the Zoom and the health care as we -- when we did tour, we know that there are changes needed in some of our regions. And the AIscribe pilot is another example of trying new tools to improve patient experience and reduce burnout, and this is something that we heard from our physicians. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister of Health and Social Services. Oral questions. Member from Range Lake.
