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Virtual Substance Use Care, Part 1: OAT Telehealth & Virtual Substance Use Care Delivery

Podcast

Season 7: Episode 1 - September 29 2026

Runtime: 38:15

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SHOW NOTES

Summary

In the first episode of Season 7, host David P. Ball is joined by Dr. Alison Hamilton to highlight the work done by clinicians as part of the Provincial Opioid Treatment Access Line (POTAL) to increase access to opioid use disorder treatment across BC. Alison is family and addiction medicine physician with locum experience in 13 rural and remote communities across six provinces and territories in Canada. Alison previously joined as a co-host for an episode in Season 5 and has returned to co-host a 3-episode arc on rural and remote substance use care. David and Alison speak to Dr. Jessica Hann MD, a leader in virtual substance use care with Providence Health Care, to learn about how POTAL came to be, how it works and how it’s accessed, the impact it’s had so far, and important practice considerations when it comes to providing virtual substance use care. David then talks to “Darlene” (pseudonym), a person with lived/living experience of opioid use disorder who has been profoundly affected by having access to virtual substance use care. David and Alison continue the conversation in the next episode, “Virtual Substance Use Care, Part 2: Considerations for Rural & Remote Virtual Care” with two more guests, so make sure to tune in again to hear more about virtual care considerations for rural and remote communities.

Lineup

In this episode, you’ll hear:

  • [2:00] – Dr. Alison Hamilton, Co-host – Family and addiction medicine physician
  • [3:45] – Dr. Jessica Hann, Guest – Emergency and addiction medicine specialist and physician lead for Providence Health Care Virtual Substance Use Care, including Lighthouse Virtual Substance Use Clinic and Access Central
  • [27:05] – “Darlene” (pseudonym), Guest – Person with lived experience of accessing care through POTAL

Clinical Pearls

Here’s what listeners can take away from this episode:

  1. Pay attention to verbal cues when on phone with a patient, which can help to know when to opt for an in-person assessment.
  2. Describe processes, systems, and medications thoroughly since many patients accessing virtual services have never accessed substance use treatment before and may not be familiar with certain terms.
  3. Be proactive in trouble shooting barriers to care like language barriers or location barriers by coordinating interpretation services or taking the extra time to follow up with a patient’s pharmacy.
  4. Focus on building relationships with other community services to ensure successful handoff when in-person assessments are necessary.
  5. Be mindful of tone of voice when speaking to patients, as a warm and friendly voice can set the stage for future interactions with a patient and reassure them that they called the right place for support.

Resources

Mentioned in episode

Supports for care providers

Supports for patients

Videos

Reports, statistics, and guidance

Articles