Patient FAQ

If you are coming to a PACE clinic for an in-person appointment with a physician, the following information will help your visit go smoothly.

Getting to the Clinic

• Allow time before your appointment to get from your car or transit to the clinic area. See Locations for information on parking and how to get to our clinics.

Parking

• There is ample parking at all of our clinics. Most lots have a fee (that patients/visitors are responsible for). Please note that some of the pay stations require your licence plate number.

Before You Come

• Take your usual medications unless otherwise directed by the clinic.
• Bring all of your medication with you in the original bottles.
• Ensure that you have a valid health card with you.
• Our staff may have provided further instructions for you to follow prior to your appointment. If you are not sure, please call 1-888-662-0680 or email us at info@pace-cardiology.com.
• Do not use any scented skin products (talcum, lotion, perfume, cologne, aftershave, etc.).
• If you are unable to keep your appointment for any reason, please call 1-888-662-0680.

Your Appointment

• When you get to a PACE clinic, check in at the intake window and take a seat in the waiting area.
• If you are also having cardiac testing done, please refer to the cardiac testing section (see our services) on our website for detailed information on what will happen during your appointment.

Before You Leave

• Make sure you know if there are any next steps following your appointment
• Confirm if any tests or procedures have been booked
• Check if your medications were changed
• Confirm your follow-up appointment

If you are coming to PACE Cardiology for a cardiac testing, the following information will help your visit go smoothly.

Getting to Your Appointment

• Allow time before your appointment to get from your car or transit to one of our clinics.

Parking

• There is ample parking at all of our clinics.
• Most lots have a fee (that patients/visitors are responsible for). Please note that some of the pay stations require your license plate number.

Before You Come

• Take your usual medications unless otherwise directed by your healthcare provider.
• Bring all of your medications with you in their original bottles.
• Ensure that you have a valid health card with you.
• Do not use any scented skin products (talcum, lotion, perfume, cologne, after-shave, etc.).
• You may have been provided further instructions to follow prior to your appointment. If you are not sure, check our services for your test.
• If you are unable to keep your appointment for any reason or require further information, please call 1-888-662-0680.

Your Appointment

• When you come for your appointment, check in at the reception desk and take a seat in the waiting area.
• The PACE Cardiology website offers detailed information on each cardiac test. Be sure to review your booked test (i.e.., echocardiogram, holder monitor, etc.) for more information about what will happen during your appointment.
• A report from your test will be sent to the healthcare provider(s) involved in your care.

Before You Leave

• Make sure you know if there are any next steps following your appointment.

Pandemic Clinic Policy

• Our PACE Cardiology staff and physicians have taken every precaution to ensure our clinics are safe and clean.

Our COVID safety measures include:

• Rigorous cleaning standards

• Physical distancing

• Screening

• PPE

• All visitors/patients must wear a mask that covers the nose, mouth and chin (a face shield without a mask is not permitted). Additionally, for the safety of our staff and patients, visiting our clinics may look a bit isolated these days. We have strategically planned the flow of our clinics to follow mandated physical distancing rules. Rather than sitting in our main waiting rooms, you may be asked to sit in an empty exam room or hallway. Having specific chairs assigned for specific cardiac technicians/testing rooms is part of this process.

• Furthermore, since all staff wear face shields and masks, voices can be muffled at times. Please don’t hesitate to ask staff to repeat instructions if you require clarification. You will also see less staff at our front desks, as we are maintaining physical distancing. For further information regarding future appointments, please visit the COVID-19 section of this website.

A telemedicine (virtual or telephone) consultation allows a patient to be assessed by our cardiologists using secure approved technologies that enable video conferencing. Telephone assessments can also be arranged.

• While telemedicine has been around for years, it has become mainstream since the arrival of COVID-19. Throughout the pandemic, telemedicine has shown to be effective and beneficial in allowing for early detection and treatment of cardiac conditions.

• Telemedicine also gives greater access to rural communities with limited access to cardiac care.

Before setting up your online or telephone consultation session you will need:

• A referral from your family physician, walk-in clinic or nurse practitioner
• A valid Ontario Health Card card
• An email address or cellphone to receive appointment related information
• A translator or caregiver is required if you are unable to communicate fluently in English. A support person or caregiver can accompany you during the consultation.
• Upon receipt of a referral, our team will call you to book your online or telephone consultation.
• You will be asked a series of questions to further determine your care needs and identify the technologies you have access to. Please ensure you are in a quiet place for the appointment.

Click here for full instructions on how to book your virtual appointment

• Prior to your appointment, you will receive a call from one of our medical team members to review your current medications, pharmacy contact details and healthcare status.
• You may be asked to visit our offices for cardiac testing prior to, or after your consultation with one of our cardiologists.
• For telephone consultations, please anticipate a two hour window in which our cardiologist will call. The call may come from a blocked number (or private caller), so please ensure your phone accepts these types of calls.
• For consultations by video conference, patients must have an email address and computer or a smartphone with a camera. Visit our Virtual Care page to learn more.

All our services are covered by OHIP and some private insurance companies.

• Cardiology consultation appointment lengths can vary. In most cases, they can range from 15 minutes to 30 minutes. If additional testing is arranged for the same day, be prepared for a longer appointment.

• For timing on cardiac testing, please review our services section.

Our goal is to complete your report and deliver it to your healthcare provider within 7 business days, but actual delivery time may vary. Please follow-up with your healthcare provider accordingly.

• Appointments for cardiac tests are booked within a couple of days upon receipt of your referral from your family doctor or healthcare provider.

• Depending upon the schedules of our physicians, cardiac consultations may take a few days to a few weeks to book. If you haven’t heard back from our office within a timely manner, please call 1-888-662-0680 or email (info@pace-cardiology.com) us.

We also accept referrals from walk-in clinics or nurse practitioners. Or, you can fill out the new patient referral form by visiting How to Book and we can connect you to a healthcare provider.

• Our PACE physicians only refill cardiac medications for current patients. Please have your pharmacy fax the prescription renewal to our office at (855)239-1623, or email us at info@pace-cardiology.com with your refill (including pharmacy) information, or call us at (888)662-0680.

• Having the your pharmacy fax our office is the most recommended form of communication for prescription renewals. Please contact your family physician for any other prescription refills.

Protecting patient privacy is not only the law, but also an important part of PACE’s commitment to treat patients with respect. We take steps to protect your personal health information from theft, loss and unauthorized access, copying, modification, use, disclosure and disposal.

• We conduct audits and complete investigations to monitor and manage our privacy compliance.

• We take steps to ensure that everyone who performs services for us protects your privacy and only uses your personal health information for purposes to which you have consented, or as otherwise permitted or required by law.

• We do our best to make sure that any information you give to us during virtual care visits is private and secure, but no video or audio tools are ever completely secure. There is an increased security risk that your health information may be intercepted or disclosed to third parties when using video or audio communications tools.

To help us keep your information safe and secure, you can:

• Understand that emails, calls, or texts you receive are not secure in the same way as a private appointment in an exam room.
• Use a private computer/device (i.e., not an employer’s or third party’s computer/device), secure accounts, and a secure internet connection. For example, using a personal and encrypted email account is more secure than an unencrypted email account, and your access to the Internet on your home network will generally be more secure than an open guest Wi-Fi connection.
• You should also understand that electronic communication is not a substitute for in-person communication or clinical examinations, where appropriate.
• By providing your information for the phone and videoconferencing visits, you agree to let us collect, use, or disclose your personal health information through videoconferencing or telephone communications (while following applicable privacy laws) in order to provide you with care.

Patients must NOT depend on electronic communications with PACE for medical emergencies or other time-sensitive matters.

• If immediate attention is needed or you are aware of a condition that appears serious or appears to be worsening rapidly, call 911 or visit your local emergency department.

You can go to any laboratory that is convenient for you. Please have this done at least 4 business days before your cardiology consultation.

• PACE Cardiology staff may ask your permission for researchers to contact you. Saying yes does NOT mean you are agreeing to participate in a study. It just permits the researchers to contact you. Deciding not to allow permission for the researcher to contact you will NOT affect the care you receive.

• If you have provided permission, researchers may contact you to discuss your potential for participation in the study. Research participation is completely voluntary and you may choose to withdraw at anytime.

• PACE offers paediatric cardiac testing (from new-borns to age 17) at various locations. At our Barrie and Newmarket clinics, we offer paediatric ECHO, ECG, and Holter Monitor testing. In Orillia, we offer paediatric ECHOs.

• For a full description of these cardiac tests, please see our services page. Please allow extra time for paediatric testing. All tests are read by a paediatric cardiologist. Our cardiologists offer cardiac consultations to patients that are 18 and over (some exceptions may apply).