FAQs
- What is the RACE telephone number?
- Where can I find up to date information on the specialty areas?
- What are the hours of RACE coverage?
- What specialty areas can be contacted through RACE?
- What is the billing code for specialists to bill?
- Can family physicians bill for using RACE?
- If I am a family physician/NP who practices outside of Vancouver Coastal Health Region (VCH/FHA), can I call the specialty areas in the RACE line that are not provincial services?
- Are specialists licensed to give advice to Yukon primary care providers?
- Can Nurse Practitioners call the RACE line?
- I am an NP who works in a specialty clinic. Can I call the RACE line?
- What do I do if I don’t receive a call back from the specialist within 2 hours?
- How do I go about getting a specialty area set up on the RACE line?
- How quickly can I expect a call back from the specialist
- As a primary care provider, what do I need to document from the phone call?
- As a specialist, what do I need to document from the phone call?
- How long is patient information stored in the RACE app?
- Can I e-mail or fax a specialist for advice?
- Is RACE really cost efficient?
- What information do I need to give the specialist when I call?
- What will the specialist ask me when I call?
- How can I reach the RACE Administration Team?
What is the RACE telephone number?
604-696-2131 or toll free 1-877-696-2131
Where can I find up to date information on the specialty areas?
Our website www.RACEconnect.ca has all the most up to date information.
What are the hours of RACE coverage?
- Monday to Friday, 0800-1700
- RACE is to provide support for primary care providers during the hours patients are seen in their office.
What specialty areas can be contacted through RACE?
List of Specialty Areas by Region
What is the billing code for specialists to bill?
- Specialist Services Committee Telephone Fees
- Billing code G10001 – $60.00 – for calls returned within 2 hours
- Billing code G10002 – $40.00/15 minute interval – for calls returned within 1 week
Can family physicians bill for using RACE?
- Yes. See NEW Billing Guide
- http://www.gpscbc.ca/what-we-do/longitudinal-care/billing-guides
If I am a family physician/NP who practices outside of Vancouver Coastal Health Region (VCH/FHA), can I call the specialty areas in the RACE line that are not provincial services?
The service is set up to provide support for family physicians within VCH. Some specialty areas provide support provincially. This makes sense when there are limited specialists across the province. RACE is meant to fill a gap, if you have no existing communication lines for telephone advice to specialists in your area, you can consider calling the RACE line. We need to respect existing patterns of communication that are working well and RACE should not impact these.
Are specialists licensed to give advice to Yukon primary care providers?
A BC medical license will cover specialists to provide telephone advice for a Yukon patient according to the College of Physicians and Surgeons of BC and the the Yukon Medical Council on Standard of Practice for Telemedicine (page 2 section 3.2 B).
Yukon Medical Council on Standard of Practice for Telemedicine
Can Nurse Practitioners call the RACE line?
Yes
I am an NP who works in a specialty clinic. Can I call the RACE line?
RACE is meant to provide support for primary care providers. It is important to keep in mind the communication channels and ensure decisions regarding care are communicated through the primary care giver either FP or NP.
What do I do if I don’t receive a call back from the specialist within 2 hours?
If you do not receive a call back within 2 hours, please call 604-696-2131 (Press 0) or email RACE@providencehealth.bc.ca for administrative help.
How do I go about getting a specialty area set up on the RACE line?
Email RACE@providencehealth.bc.ca with information about your inquiry
How quickly can I expect a call back from the specialist
80% of calls are returned within 10 minutes
As a primary care provider, what do I need to document from the phone call?
According to billing code PG14018, the care plan must be recorded in the patient’s chart and must include patient identifiers, reason for the care plan, list of co-morbidities, safety risks, list of interventions, what referrals to be made, what follow-up has been arranged.
Documentation procedures differ between regulatory bodies. Please follow your regulatory body’s documentation process. For family physicians they are required to document the following:
- Patient’s Name
- Date of Service
- Diagnosis
- Reason for need of Clinical Action Plan
- Name of specialist/GP with specialty training & their role in provision of care
- Elements of the Clinical Action Plan determined
- Patient risks based on assessment of appropriate domains (list of relevant co-morbidities and safety risks)
- What referral will be made, what follow-up has been arranged (including timelines), as well as advanced planning information if appropriate.
- Start times of service
As a specialist, what do I need to document from the phone call?
According to billing code PG10001, an adequate medical record/chart entry, including time of initiating request and time of response as well as advice given, and to who, is required.
RACE line specialists provide advice to primary care providers on specific patient care. The primary care provider remains the most responsible provider.
How long is patient information stored in the RACE app?
Patient data (including the patient’s name, date of birth and personal health number) is stored in the RACE app for only 1 year. We suggest saving screenshots for your records.
Can I e-mail or fax a specialist for advice?
RACE is only for verbal telephone communication.
Please visit eCASE for e-mail consultation: http://www.raceconnect.ca/ecase/
Is RACE really cost efficient?
A simple cost modeling exercise showed~ $200 saving per call depending on the specialty area. Direct costs such as face to face consult fee, telephone advice fee, and administrative costs for running the line were all considered. It is more difficult to analyze indirect costs such as patients/families taking time off work to attend face to face consults, travel time, transportation etc. – the costs incurred when having to attend to an additional appointment.
We do think about the larger picture involved beyond merely cost and the Ministry of Health takes in to consideration the patient and health care provider experience, improving health outcomes long with controlling costs.
What information do I need to give the specialist when I call?
We encourage people to use a standard, structured communication approach such as SBAR:
- Situation – A statement of the problem: What is going on
- Background – Brief information related to the problem: what has happened
- Assessment – Analysis/ consideration of options: What you found/think it is
- Recommendation – Request/recommend action: what you need
What will the specialist ask me when I call?
They will need to know if you are a Family Physician, Nurse Practitioner or Midwife. They will also ask you some clinical questions related to your patient.
How can I reach the RACE Administration Team?
- Phone: 604-696-2131 (Press 0)
- Email: RACE@providencehealth.bc.ca
