Preparing for Virtual Care: Remembering the important stuff
Voice-over (VO): Virtual cancer care appointments can be a great way to connect with your healthcare team. There are things you can do before and during your appointment to help you remember the important stuff and have the best experience possible.
[The main character walks on screen from the right. They are preparing for their virtual cancer care appointment. An oversized laptop slides in from the left. Members of the healthcare team wave from the screen of the laptop. The main character waves back. Then the laptop fades out, and the main character turns and walks through a door to the right. The scene ends.]
VO: If you can, take some time before the appointment to write down your questions, your symptoms, and your medicines and their doses. Have those notes with you during your virtual care appointment.
[The main character slides in from the left, holding a piece of paper and a pen. A larger version of the paper they are holding appears on the right. As the main character writes on the page they are holding, scribbled lines appear next to empty checkboxes on the larger version of the paper. Red checkmarks appear in the first 2 boxes, indicating the main character is checking things off their list ahead of their virtual care appointment. The scene ends.]
VO: Don’t worry if you forgot to include something in your notes. Try to focus on the conversation.
[A jagged line splits the screen in half. On the right, the doctor is on the phone at their desk. The main character walks in from the left, holding their cellphone. A speech bubble appears above the phone as they talk to their doctor.]
VO: You may want to have your caregiver or someone you trust with you during the appointment. They can help you remember what you wanted to say or ask, and they can give you support if you need it.
[The previous scene continues. The speech bubble disappears and the camera pans to create space on the left side of the screen. The main character’s caregiver walks in from the left to join them. The main character looks at the caregiver and smiles, and the caregiver puts their hand on the main character’s shoulder. The call with the doctor continues with the caregiver joining the conversation.]
VO: You might also feel more comfortable if your pet is there with you.
[The jagged line and the doctor on the right side of the screen disappear. The main character’s cat walks in from the right and sits down between the main character and their caregiver.]
VO: Taking notes during the appointment can help you remember the important things later. If your caregiver or support person is joining you, they may be able to take notes for you.
[The main character lets go of their phone as it gets bigger and moves to the right side of the screen. There is a speaker icon on the screen and multiple speech bubbles pop up briefly around the phone, representing the voices on the other end of a call. The characters shift slightly to the middle as a pen and a piece of paper with scribbled notes on it appear on the left side of the screen next to the caregiver. A speech bubble reappears near the phone as the call continues.]
VO: You could also ask your healthcare team in advance if you can record your appointment so you can watch or listen to it later.
[The previous scene continues. The paper and pen next to the caregiver slide left off the screen and the characters shift back to the left. The phone on the right gets slightly larger and shows a microphone icon and a red record button on its screen.]
VO: And you can call them between appointments to ask any other questions or to book another appointment.
[The microphone icon and red record button disappear from the phone screen. The phone returns to its normal size and comes back to the main character’s hand. Two bubbles pop up on the right side of the screen. The first bubble has a question mark in it and the second bubble has a monthly calendar page with an appointment marked on it. The scene ends.]
VO: You may not always feel fully prepared for virtual care. That’s OK. Talk to your healthcare team, your caregiver or someone else close to you if you need support.
[The main character is lounging on a chair at home with their cat. The camera pans back and shifts the main character and their cat slightly to the right as 2 bubbles appear on the left. The first bubble has members of the healthcare team in it. The second bubble has the main character’s caregiver and young family member in it. The main character waves. Everyone looks happy. The scene ends.]
VO: The Canadian Cancer Society is also here to help. Visit cancer.ca or call us at 1-888-939-3333. You can also visit our virtual care resource hub at cancer.ca/virtualcare.
[The Canadian Cancer Society’s name, logo, phone number and website address appear in the centre of the screen. The Merck logo appears below with the following text: “Made possible through the support of Merck Canada Inc. The opinions expressed are those of its authors and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of Merck Canada Inc.” As the voice-over mentions the virtual care information hub, the URL cancer.ca/virtualcare appears on the screen.]