Prepare for your Appointment
To see a specialist in British Columbia, you will need a referral sent to our office from a healthcare provider.
Your first appointment may be a consult in our office or over telehealth which may be over the phone or a video call. Depending on the referral, you may be booked directly for a procedure at the hospital.
If your first appointment is at our office, it will take approximately 30-60 minutes. We ask you to arrive five minutes prior to your appointment. If not already completed at the time of scheduling your appointment, you may review and complete our intake form prior to the appointment [here].
Our doctors strive to keep appointments on time, but we may run late due to unforeseen circumstances and patient needs.
Confirming Your Appointment
You will receive a text, phone, or email notification to confirm your appointment based on your preference. It is very important that you confirm this appointment.
What to Bring for Your Appointment
1. List of your current medications
2. BC Care Card
3. You may bring a family member or companion if you feel that you would like someone to help you with the appointment. If you do not speak English or have difficulty communicating, you should have someone to help you translate.
4. If coming in person to our office for a fibroscan, you will be asked to fast for 2 hours before your appointment.
At Your Appointment
The entrance to our office has six stairs. If you are unable to use stairs, please let us know as soon as possible, and we will accommodate your appointment at an alternative location.
At your appointment, the gastroenterologist will obtain a complete history and perform an appropriate examination to decide if further testing or therapy is required. They will ask about your past medical history, previous procedures and details about your family health history.
At the end of the appointment, the physician will discuss their diagnosis and your treatment plan. You have the opportunity to ask questions to clarify and understand your condition.
After Your First Appointment
After the appointment, a detailed letter will be sent to your referring doctor outlining the investigations and treatment plan. The gastroenterologist will also make arrangements for procedures and follow-up if necessary.
Procedures or Other Tests
If an endoscopic procedure is required, you will be asked to obtain preparation instructions from the front desk before you leave the office. The standard instructions for some of these procedures are available on our website [here]. Based on your circumstances, your gastroenterologist may require a modified preparation, and you should follow those instructions if they are provided to you.
The GI booking office at the hospital will contact you to schedule a date and time for the procedure.
If you need to have imaging tests, your gastroenterologists will send the required paperwork to the hospital, and the hospital or imaging clinic will contact you directly to schedule these tests.
NO show policy
We have instituted a no-show policy to avoid missing appointments and, hence, unnecessary prolongation of our waitlist.
If you are booked for a procedure at KGH, and do not wish to proceed, you can cancel it when you receive the reminder text message or when the nurse calls you. Alternatively, you can call the booking office at (250) 862-4329 as soon as possible.
If you are booked for an office appointment, you can cancel it when you receive the reminder text message or when the Kelowna Gastroenterology Associates office calls you. Alternatively, contact our office at (250) 763-6433.
Unless it is a reasonable emergency, patients who fail to attend a scheduled appointment will be charged CAN $100 to have it rebooked. We also won't be able to guarantee your position on the waitlist. Acceptable forms of payment include credit card, debit card or cash. No personal cheques will be accepted. Payment can be arranged by calling our office at (250) 763-6433.
This policy is in accordance with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of British Columbia's practice standard:
"Charging for Missed or Cancelled Appointments : It is acceptable to bill patients privately for missed appointments provided the patient has been forewarned of the registrant's policy in this regard, and the registrant exercises judgment and compassion in submitting such an account. Registrants who intend to charge patients in these circumstances must have a system in place to facilitate the cancellation process."