Real-time advice: Support is just a click away

• Substance use disorders
• Behavioural addictions

Non-urgent tele-advice advice is available for the management of patients who experience substance use disorders (opioids, alcohol, methamphetamines, cannabis etc.), as well as behavioural addictions (gambling, sex, pornography, videogaming etc).

Advice is provided over the phone or referrals are made to our centralized clinic and multidisciplinary teams at AHS Adult Addiction Services Calgary.

To request this service by phone, call call 403-910-2551 and press 5, 8.

• Therapeutics
• Management
• Diagnostics
• Standards of care and practice guidelines

Physicians looking for a quick answer -- and those seeking non-urgent clinical advice on therapeutics, management, or diagnostics, as well as standards of care and practice guidelines, are invited to call the service.

The psychiatry line is not suitable for physicians seeking information about resources, or those who have patients that require face-to-face consultation. Those enquires should continue to be direct to Access Mental Health at 403-943-1500 (the rural intake line is available at 1-877-652-4700).

To request this service by phone, call 403-910-2551 and press 5, 8.

• Acute and chronic pain (note the separate chronic pain tele-advice service)
• Complications related to pain procedures or analgesic therapy or any questions about the appropriate course of action
• Perioperative or anesthetic care
• Postdural puncture headaches
• Reassurance regarding planned intervention

Non-urgent advice is available if a patient has special needs in planning perioperative care, needle phobia, anxiety/PTSD or a history of addiction, the patient should be referred to the anesthesia consult clinics for review and possible referral to the transitional pain service.

To request this service by phone, call 403-910-2551 and press 5, 4.

• Medications or advice related to mother's milk supply
• Medication safety with breastfeeding
• COVID+ mother who is breastfeeding
• Domperidone recommendations for the breastfeeding mother, including considerations if on QT prolonging medications
• Treatment plan recommendations for a suspected yeast infection in the mother's breast
• Recommendations around baby with a milk protein allergy

Non-urgent tele-advice is available from a team of physicians who have in International Board-Certified Lactation Consultant certificate.

To request this service by phone, call 403-910-2551 and press 6, 3.

• Managing patients with arrhythmias (bradycardia and tachycardia)
• Managing patients with syncope

Non-urgent tele-advice is available for managing patients with arrhythmias (bradycardia and tachycardia) and those with syncope.

Questions regarding preexisting pacemakers or defibrillators should be directed to the Foothills Medical Centre device clinic at 403-944-1188.

To request this service by phone, call 403-910-2551 and press 2, 2.

• Cardiac surgical wounds
• Large symptomatic pleural effusion

Non-urgent tele-advice is available for concerns related to cardiac surgical wounds, large symptomatic pleural effusions.

To request this service by phone, call 403-910-2551 and press 4, 7.

• Dysmenorrhea
• Heavy menstrual bleeding
• Ovarian cyst
• Female genital tract problems
• Vulvovaginitis
• Other vulvar conditions
• Complex contraception

A pediatric and adolescent gynecologist will provide tele-advice for a wide range of gynecological problems in the pediatric population, from 0 – 18 years old.

For urgent referrals, please contact the Alberta Children's Hospital switchboard at 403-955-7211 and ask to speak to the pediatric and adolescent gynecologist on call. The urgency of referral can be changed pending supportive blood work and effect of the condition on daily life, such as time lost to school and other activities. Wait time is 1 - 3 weeks. More information is available via the Alberta Referral Directory.

The following reasons for referral should be considered emergent. Go directly to your nearest hospital. All patients less than 12 years of age will be redirected to Alberta Children's Hospital:

• Ovarian torsion

• Heavy menstrual bleeding with hemoglobin < 80

• Obstructive vaginal/uterine/hymenal anomaly with hematocolpos

• Vaginal foreign body with battery

• Diagnostic or medication questions related to:
• Initiating
• Monitoring
• Changing
• Adjusting
• Following

Non-urgent advice is available for diagnostic or medication questions that could be answered after a brief history is provided. Medication questions could involve initiating, monitoring, changing, adjusting or following psychotropic medications for any psychiatric consideration.

The psychiatry line is not suitable for physicians seeing information about resources or those who have patients who require face-to-face consultation. Those inquires should be directed to Access Mental Health at 403-943-1500 (the rural intake line is available at 1-877-652-4700).

To request this service by phone, call 403-910-2551 and press 3, 2

• Anesthesiology
• Musculoskeletal pain
• Neuropathic pain
• Complex Regional Pain Syndrome
• Post-herpetic neuralgia
• Spinal pain
• Limb pain
• Abdominal and chest pain
• Myalgias
• Peripheral neuropathies
• Consideration for spinal cord stimulator
• Facial pain
• Radiculopathy
• Headache
• Pelvic pain
• Questions related to opioid tapering or rotation, starting buprenorphine, complex medication cocktails and or biopsychosocial care approach including community resources are better directed to phone consultation with Pharmacist or Physician , this may be answered through eReferral Advice Request or through phone consultation request through connect care or by faxing referral to fax: 403-209-2954

This service is supported by Nurse Practitioners who provide multi-modal pain management suggestions for patients who have a history (in excess of three months) of chronic non-cancer pain.

To request this service by phone, call 403-910-2551 and press 2, 4.

• Suspected adverse drug events of any kind (e.g. prolonged QTc, DRESS syndrome, Stevens Johnson syndrome, abnormal laboratory results)
• Questions about restarting medications after an adverse drug event
• Specific therapeutically complex conditions including uncontrolled hypertension, unusual or unpredicted therapeutic responses to medications (unexplained inefficacy or toxic effects)
• New or unusual drug interactions
• Supra or subtherapeutic drug concentrations
• Deprescribing
• Polypharmacy advice
• Management of substance withdrawal/drug discontinuation syndromes
• Suspected drug-induced laboratory abnormalities
• Pharmacogenomic testing
• Therapeutic drug monitoring questions not normally managed by the Clinical Pharmacist

The Clinical Pharmacology physician-based consultation service is a medical subspecialty that translates the basic science of Pharmacology into the clinical practice of Therapeutics, focusing on the application of pharmacological principles and methods.

If you work closely with a clinical pharmacist, you may want to consider the following reasons to consult them first: Drug interaction checks, questions about common adverse drug reactions, safe drug dosing in renal or hepatic dysfunction, medication reconciliation completion or questions, common therapeutic drug monitoring questions (e.g. vancomycin, gentamicin, digoxin).

To request this service by phone, call 403-910-2551 and press 5, 6.

• Advice related to colorectal surgery

To request this service by phone, please call 403-910-2551 and press 9, 2

• Jaundice
• Abdominal pain
• Lumps and bumps
• Diagnostics
• Note: For questions related to pediatric orthopaedics, please call RAAPID at 1800-661-1700

Non-urgent tele-advice is available for advice related to medical concerns for infants, children and adolescents.

To request this service by phone, call 403-910-2551 and press 3, 1

• Diagnostic testing
• General management therapeutics
• Other clinical questions

Non-urgent advice is available for advice on diagnostic testing, general management therapeutics or any other clinical questions related to congestive heart failure.

To request this service by phone, call 403-910-2551 and press 3, 1.

• Testing
• Infection prevention and control
• Treatment questions

Non-urgent advice is available to support patients with presumed or confirmed COVID-19 infection. This could include testing, infection prevention and control and treatment questions related to adult patients with acute or chronic infectious diseases.

This line is not for enquiries about public health or workplace health and safety recommendations. Questions about quarantine orders or testing in the community can be directed to public health at [email protected].

To request this service by phone, call 403- 910-2551 and press 8, 1.

• Endocrine surgery advice

Non-urgent tele-advice is available for advice related to endocrine surgery.

To request this service by phone, call 403-910-2551 and press 9, 3.

• Thyroid concerns
• Goiter with normal thyroid function
• Pituitary tumor
• Hirsutism
• Infertility
• Diabetes planning pregnancy
• Hyperlipidemia
• Osteoporosis
• Obesity
• Galactorrhea
• Gynecomastia
• Adrenal Mass < 4 cm
• Hypertension (diagnosis of suspected endocrine cause)
• Amenorrhea
• Diabetes

Please note: Questions about transgender health should be directed to the transgender health tele-advice line.

Phone access: To request endocrinology this service by phone, call 403-910-2551 and press 1, 3.

• Advice on diagnostic testing
• Advice on general management
• Advice on therapeutics
• Other clinical questions
• Digestive concerns
• IBS, Diarrhea, Chronic Constipation
• Chronic abdominal pain
• GERD
• Dyspepsia
• Polyps
• Celiac disease
• Helicobacter pylori

To request this service by phone, call 403-910-2551 and press 1, 1.

Please note, Gastroenterology is a procedural specialty, and response times for this non-urgent service may vary. For urgent matters, please contact the on-call physician directly through your preferred hospital switchboard. 

• How to triage/diagnose/treat your patient’s potential cardiac symptoms
• Choice of cardio diagnostic test
• Discussing results of cardiac tests

• Hypertension enquiries should be directed to General Internal Medicine

• Urgent questions should be directed to RAAPID, as appropriate

• Post-operative enquiries should be forwarded to the patient’s surgeon

• For Congenital Cardiology, please contact the Southern Alberta Adult Congenital Heart Clinic at the Peter Lougheed Centre (403-943-4504).

To request this service by phone, call 403-910-2551 and press 2, 1.

• At this time there are no general guidelines or recommendations

Call appropriateness is left to the discretion of the requesting physician.

Note: For thrombosis-related calls, please use the Specialist Link thrombosis tele-advice service.

To request this service by phone, call all 403-910-2551 and press 2, 1.

• Urgent advice support for adults requiring general surgery procedures, including:
• Small and large bowel surgery
• Gallbladder
• Mastectomy or breast surgery
• Hernia repairs
• Post-operative management questions (when the operating surgeon is not available)

To request this service by phone, please call 403-910-2551 and press 9, 1

• Diagnosis of cognitive impairment in older adults
• Management challenges of dementia
• Balancing complex chronic disease management
• Starting plans for deprescribing
• Falls
• Frailty

To request this service by phone, call 403-910-2551 and press 5, 9.

The geriatric psychiatry line is not suitable for physicians’ seeking information about resources, or those who have patients that require face-to-face consultation. Those enquires should continue to be direct to Access Mental Health at 403-943-1500 (the rural intake line is available at 1-877-652-4700).

• Antidepressant choice with different medical comorbidities or symptom profile
• Whether or not antipsychotics should be initiated for agitation or psychotic symptoms
• Choice of antipsychotic (for example if prolonged QTc or other concerns)
• Whether a patient would be appropriate for referral to certain resources (such as R and R unit at Glenmore Carewest, SAILL program) and how to access
• Whether to start a cholinesterase inhibitor, recommended preliminary work-up for new onset hallucinations or cognitive changes later in life

The geriatric psychiatry line is not suitable for physicians’ seeking information about resources, or those who have patients that require face-to-face consultation. Those enquires should continue to be direct to Access Mental Health at 403-943-1500 (the rural intake line is available at 1-877-652-4700).

To request this service by phone, call 403-910-2551 and press 5, 2.

• Any non-urgent gynecology related questions or clinical concerns
• Fibroids
• Irregular menses
• Interpreting imaging results
• Menopausal symptoms, treatment
• Menstrual disorders, including heavy bleeding and anemia
• Ovarian cysts
• Post-menopausal bleeding
• Venous disease

To request this service by phone, call 403-910-2551 and press 6, 2

• **Thrombosis-related calls should be directed to the Specialist Link thrombosis tele-advice service
• Mild and/or chronic CBC abnormalities, which includes mild increases or decreases to Hg, platelet, WBC or any combination of the three cell lines
• Advice re hemoglobinopathy results, especially, sickle cell or thalassemia trait
• Easy bruising/bleeding
• Interpretation of coagulation studies
• Interpretation of SPEP or free light chain assays
• Interpretation of iron studies and hematological malignancies

Please note: This service is for adult patients. Questions about pediatric patients should be directed to the Alberta Children's Hospital, via the switchboard: 403-955-7211.

To request hematology tele-advice by phone, call 403-910-2551 and press 1, 5.

• Advice related to hepatobiliary surgery

To request this service by phone, call call 403-910-2551 and press 9, 4.

• Liver concerns
• Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)
• Hemochromatosis and/or elevated ferritin
• Hepatitis C (unless cirrhotic)
• Hepatitis B immune-tolerant
• Hepatitis B chronic carrier
• Benign liver mass

To request this service by phone, call 403-910-2551 and press 1, 7.

• Supporting calls related to adult patients with acute or chronic infectious diseases. Some examples of common clinical scenarios include:
• Skin and soft tissue infections
• Osteomyelitis
• Bloodstream infections
• Urinary tract infections
• C. difficile diarrhea
• Fever of unknown origin and fever in the returning traveler
• COVID-19, which may include testing, infection prevention and control and treatment questions

• If physicians have questions about laboratory testing, they should be directed to the microbiologist

• Questions specifically regarding tuberculosis can be directed to TB services on call

• With respect to contact tracing in the community or post-exposure prophylaxis, these calls are best handled by public health

• Questions regarding pediatric patients should be directed to pediatric infectious diseases specifically at Alberta Children’s Hospital

• To request this service by phone, call 403-910-2551 and press 1, 6

• Medical Conditions in pregnancy, EXCEPT FOR diabetes in pregnancy and thyroid disease in Pregnancy (which should be directed to endocrinology)
• Hypertensive disorders
• Heart disease
• Venous thromboembolism
• Thrombocytopenia
• Renal disease
• Gastrointestinal disease

To request this service by phone, call 403-910-2551 and press 6, 1

Please note: Questions about diabetes in pregnancy and thyroid disease in pregnancy should be directed to the endocrinology health tele-advice line.

• High-risk obstetric patients in early pregnancy, including medications in pregnancy
• Navigating the care of pregnant women with complex maternal or fetal issues
• Interpreting abnormal fetal imaging or bloodwork results
• Prenatal screening or diagnosis
• Fetal anomaly
• Abnormalities ultrasound fetal assessment
• Multiple gestation
• Hypertensive disorders in pregnancy
• Other medical conditions in pregnancy
• Previous pregnancy complications or stillbirth
• Pre-conception planning for high-risk women
• General questions regarding the risks of COVID in pregnancy (for infected or recovered pregnant women)
• Management of COVID-positive pregnant women who have other maternal, fetal, or obstetrical complications
• Timing / urgency and location of obstetrical imaging for COVID-positive pregnant women

Non-urgent tele-advice can be sought for the examples above, and other related concerns.

For patients requiring urgent (or inpatient) MFM consultation and/or imaging, please contact the MFM physician on-call through FMC switchboard (403-8944-1110), available 24 hours daily.

To request this service by phone, call 403-910-2551 and press 6, 4

• If your patient’s Medical Oncologist (MO) is not available, the MO on call can assist with issues such as:
• Management of cancer related symptoms - new or worsening: pain, nausea, headaches, neurological symptoms, cough, dyspnea, fever, bleeding, constipation, diarrhea, paralysis or swelling of extremity and a new palpable lump/mass
• Management of side effects from cancer related therapies (therapies may include chemotherapy, immunotherapy, biologics–antibody therapies, targeted tyrosine kinase inhibitors, and hormonal therapies)

For any patients undergoing systemic treatment at the Tom Baker Cancer Centre under the care of a Medical Oncologist, please ask to speak with the patient’s Medical Oncologist, weekdays 8 a.m.-5 p.m.

Please refer to Surgical Oncology advice for surgical questions for cancer patients.

For a patient with a new (or suspected) cancer diagnosis who has not been seen at the Tom Baker Cancer Centre:

• Refer to Alberta Referral Pathway https://www.albertahealthservices.ca/info/Page10939.aspx for referral to appropriate division.

• Visit the Cancer Guidelines at https://www.albertahealthservices.ca/info/cancerguidelines.aspx for more information.

To request this service by phone, call 403-910-2551 and press 7, 1

• Kidney function and kidney disease
• Chronic Kidney Disease
• Hypertension
• Persistent electrolyte abnormalities
• Recurrent or extensive nephrolithiasis
• Hereditary kidney disease (e.g. polycystic kidney disease)

To request this service by phone, call 403-910-2551 and press 1, 8.

• Advice for neurological concerns, problems with nervous system, progressive neurological disease and complex seizure disorders. Some examples may include:
• Headache, tremor, vertigo, sensory symptoms, and spells/seizures
• Peripheral Neuropathy
• Vertigo
• Headache
• Suspected Essential Tremor
• Suspected Parkinson's Disease

To request this service by phone, please call 403-910-2551 and press 2, 6

• Interpreting imaging results
• Any non-urgent obstetrics related questions or clinical concerns
• Early pregnancy concerns, including hyperemesis gravidarum and hypertension

To request this service by phone, call 403-910-2551 and press 6, 1

• Interpretation of incidental results for imaging – for example, cysts in sinuses (imaging reports need to be shared)
• General questions about next steps for many conditions -- examples may include how to handle a neck lump (at least an ultrasound should have been completed)
• Other examples:
• General issues or ear, nose and throat conditions
• Chronic sinusitis
• Epistaxis
• Malformation
• Swallowing and voice disorders
• Mass of nasal sinus
• Nasal symptoms
• Sino nasal papilloma
• Thyroid disease rhinology

To request this service by phone, call 403-910-2551 and press 4, 4

• Palliative care consultant advice and support is available to family physicians who have patients with complex symptoms or needs that include the following:
• Pain
• Nausea
• Constipation
• Delirium
• Opioid toxicity
• Dyspnea
• Depression, anxiety, grief, psychological or spiritual distress
• Clarification of treatment goals and management plans

For chronic non-cancer pain, physicians should contact the Specialist Link chronic pain tele-advice line.

To request this service by phone, call 403-910-2551 and press 5, 3.

• What imaging is best for midline neck mass versus lateral neck mass?
• How to treat a draining ear?
• What to do with a snoring child?
• What is the workup and treatment of nasal congestion in a child?

To request this service by phone, call 403-910-2551 and press 3, 3.

• Pediatric palliative medicine consultant non-urgent advice and support is available to primary care providers (including family physicians and pediatricians) who have patients with complex palliative care symptoms and needs, that include the following:
• Pain
• Nausea
• Dyspnea
• Constipation
• Opioid toxicity
• Delirium
• Depression, anxiety, grief
• Clarification of treatment goals and management plans
• Decision making approaching end of life
• Access to pediatric hospice for end of life care
• Family support including respite admissions at Rotary Flames House hospice for children with complex needs expected to die in childhood

For chronic non-cancer pain, please contact the Alberta Children’s Hospital Chronic Pain service for advice. 

• Management and work up of febrile UTIs or severe Hydronephrosis
• Management and work up of ambiguous genitalia
• Concern of urgent urology issue such as testicular torsion or obstructing ureteric stone

Please note: The Pediatric Urology line is not suitable for questions regarding mild to moderate phimosis without trial of steroid cream; dysfunctional voiding symptoms management without ruling out constipation or smegma under non-circumcised foreskin.

To request this service by phone, call 403-910-2551 and press 3, 4.

• Advice related to podiatric surgery. Examples include:
• Foot fracture or laceration
• Advice related to diagnostic testing needed before referral

To request this service by phone, call 403-910-2551 and press 4, 1.

• Advice related to radiation treatment side effects

Please note: This service is not for a diagnosis for suspected cancer, or for any urgent or emergent treatment issues. Those calls should be directed, as appropriate, to 911 or the on-call radiation oncologist.

To request this service by phone, call 403-910-2551 and press 7, 2.

• Examples of questions could include:
• Screening tests for newcomers
• Management of health issues specific to newcomers (e.g. schistosomiasis, mental health)
• Billing and coverage for refugees

A team of physicians based at Mosaic Primary Care Network’s Refugee Health Clinic are available to offer advice. The physicians staffing the tele-advice line have Diplomas in Tropical Medicine and Hygiene and many years’ experience of working with refugees.

To request this service by phone, call 403-910-2551 and press 5, 5.

More information about the Refugee Health Clinic is also available at http://mosaicpcn.ca/services/Pages/Refugee-Health-Services.aspx

• Adult respiratory medicine concerns, including:
• Pulmonary issues
• Asthma and related issues
• COPD
• Shortness of breath

To request this service by phone, call 403-910-2551 and press 1, 2

• Rheumatological conditions that may include, but are not limited to:
• Immunemediated disorders of the musculoskeletal system, soft tissues
• Autoimmune disease
• Vasculitis and heritable connective tissue disorders

Examples of things you may wish to call about include the following:

• Musculoskeletal concerns

• Inflammatory arthritis

• Complex arthritis

• Gout

• Polymyalgia Rheumatica

• Connective tissue disease

• Polyarthritis

To request this service by phone, call 403-910-2551 and press 1, 9

• Diagnosis and management of acute, chronic, and degenerative musculoskeletal problems including:
• Tendon and ligament injuries/ruptures
• Joint instability
• Compartment syndromes, bone stress injuries
• Osteoarthritis
• Concussion
• Injury prevention
• Prescription of exercise and physical activity for chronic disease management

This service is for patients of all ages and those with disability. Injuries do not need to be sports related. Conditions not appropriate for this service include acute or chronic bone fractures, post-surgical complications and bone, joint and soft tissue infections.

To request this service by phone, call 403-910-2551 and press 2, 7

• Advice related to surgical questions for cancer patients

To request this service by phone, call 403-910-2551 and press 9, 5

• You are concerned that a child may have experienced abuse and are not sure of next steps
• A parent or child has disclosed abuse and you are not sure about next steps
• A child has a physical finding suspicious for abuse and you would like to discuss this with a Child Maltreatment specialist
• You have a patient that you think needs a sexual abuse examination

Please note that SCAN is not suitable if a child needs counselling for abuse (see Alberta Referral Directory for referral information).

• Confirmed or suspected Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) and/or Pulmonary Embolism (PE):
• Advice on diagnostic tests
• Advice on general management
• Advice on therapeutics
• Other clinical questions related to a patient’s DVT and or PE thrombophilia testing:
• In most situations’ thrombophilia testing as per Canadian Guidelines is NOT indicated
• Because the testing is expensive and rarely changes management decisions it needs to be approved by a thrombosis physician
• If you would like to discuss whether your patient may have a role for testing, please don’t hesitate to call
• Questions or concerns regarding need for thromboprophylaxis with surgery or illness

This service will not answer questions regarding anticoagulation in atrial fibrillation or questions regarding arterial thrombosis.

To request this service by phone, call 403-910-2551 and press 2, 9

• Support for transgender and gender diverse patients
• Patients on hormones seeking an opinion regarding transgender health
• Patients under the age of 18 expressing gender diversity, including exploration or starting medical transition
• Monitoring, screening, defining lab targets, managing abnormal labs, side effects and other clinical concerns
• Resources or referral information for adult patients expressing gender diversity and wishing to start medical transition
• Resources or referral information for gender affirming surgery
• Resources or referral information for hormonal starts

To request this service by phone, call 403-910-2551 and press 8, 2.

• Advice related to upper gastrointestinal and bariatric surgical procedures

To request this service by phone, call 403-910-2551 and press 9, 6

• Non-urgent advice related to vascular surgery that could include:
• Aneurysms
• Extra-cranial carotid disease
• Peripheral vascular disease
• Venous disease

To request this service by phone, call 403-910-2551 and press 4, 2

• This tele-advice service is available for adult patients with any of the following issues:
• Does my patient have a chronic wound?
• What are my next steps to manage this problem?
• How do I choose a dressing protocol or more simply, what dressing should I apply?
• When do I reassess the wound for progress?
• How do I know if an antibiotic is needed?
• What is the approach for treating a diabetic foot wound?
• My patient had stitches in the ER 5 days ago and now the wound has dehiscence. What do I do now?
• What to apply on a burn
• How to care for sutured wounds
• When should I refer to home care wound services?

Wound Care services is supported by a team of multidisciplinary physicians who are IIWCC (International Interprofessional Wound Care Course), SAWC (Symposium on Advanced Wound Care) and/or AAWC (Association for the Advancement of Wound Care) trained and mentored in the care of patients of all ages, with non-healing wounds.

The Wound Care Clinic is located at the Sheldon M. Chumir Health Centre and if patient needs to be seen, referrals are accepted through CAT for Integrated Home Care Team: Fax 403-943-1602.

To request this tele-advice service by phone, call 403-910-2551 and press 5, 7