Care and Services

Health in motion: innovating to help children

With its mobile clinic, DocTocToc aims to solve the problem of poor access to pediatric healthcare. By travelling to areas with acute needs, the organization initiates contact with families currently underserved by the health and social services network.

Community-based healthcare

Multiple factors can compromise access to care, especially for highly vulnerable families :

Wait times for medical appointments;
Unfamiliarity with the healthcare system;
Costs and travel times to get to points of service;
Language barriers for immigrant families.

Because of these barriers, some families have difficulty establishing trusting relationships within a healthcare network they feel has left them behind. In a 2019 report by l’Institut national d’excellence en santé et en services sociaux (INESSS), mobile clinics were cited as a local service that could effectively reach such vulnerable populations.

Families in the northern part of Montreal can access the DocTocToc pediatric mobile clinic directly or through referral by a community organization. DocTocToc services act in complement with the healthcare network to create care plans adapted to each child. DocTocToc acts as a new port-of-entry for families not yet reached by the healthcare system. By creating links between community organizations and the healthcare network, DocTocToc fosters collaboration across sectors. These collaborations are at the heart of its work.

Family or community organization is concerned about the health of a child aged 0 to 5 years

Family visits a walk-in nursing clinic

After a community organization referral, an appointment is provided

First visit

Psychosocial assessment is done by a navigator

Clinical assessment is done by a nurse

Connection established with the health and social services system

Connection made with community organizations

Follow-up visits

Health supervision visits

Vaccination

Family support for up to 24 months once care is initiated by the health and social services system

Walk-in nurse consultations

A nurse identifies the child’s needs and performs a clinical evaluation, dispenses appropriate care, and may refer the child to a doctor if necessary. The nurse also promotes healthy lifestyle habits and encourages the family to take further action.

Regular visits and health check-ups

The nurse uses the ABCdaire, a reference tool to monitor and follow-up on the child’s health and development.

Vaccination

The nurse updates the child’s vaccination booklet and administers vaccines as needed.

Liaison services and help navigating the healthcare system and community resources

The navigator assesses the family’s psychosocial needs and directs them to the appropriate resources. The navigator also provides support and guidance for families throughout the process to help them gain autonomy in their interactions with the healthcare system and community organizations.

We provide services targeted at vulnerable children aged 0 to 5 in the CIUSSS du Nord-de-l’île-de-Montréal territory who are not yet reached by the healthcare system, social services or community organizations.

The mobile clinic’s services are free for all children aged 0 to 5, even if their parents are temporary residents or awaiting a decision on their immigration status.

Parents of children aged 0 to 5 in northern Montreal can go to the mobile clinic directly or obtain a referral from a community organization.

The mobile clinic drives all over northern Montreal and parks in strategic locations regularly visited by the families it seeks to help. Parents can go to the mobile clinic directly or obtain a referral from a community organization. Please consult our calendar to see our upcoming mobile clinic locations.