Improving Access to Women’s Health: An Interview with Dr. Meriah Fahey, OBGYN

Timely access to specialist care is one of the greatest challenges facing healthcare in Alberta and across Canada. Patients often wait months, sometimes years, for a referral, even for conditions that could be managed safely at the primary care level with the right guidance. To bridge this gap, eConsult platforms such as Alethea are providing family physicians with rapid access to specialist input, helping to reduce unnecessary referrals and streamline patient care.

We recently spoke with Dr. Meriah Fahey, an OBGYN practicing in Calgary, to talk about her experience using Alethea as a specialist consultant. In this conversation, she shared her perspective on how eConsults fit into her daily workflow, the impact on access to women’s health, and why she sees digital consultation as the future of collaborative care.

Background on Dr. Fahey’s Practice

Dr. Fahey has been practicing as a generalist OBGYN in Calgary since 2008. Her clinical work spans hospital-based practice at South Health Campus, community outreach with Eden Valley and Siksika Nation, and care for Indigenous patients at the Elbow River Healing Lodge. She offers expertise in menopause management, vaginal breech birth, and a wide range of general gynecology.

As she explains:

“I’m a generalist, so I see a little bit of everything. But I also have areas of expertise, like menopause management and vaginal breech, that are not widely offered by many other gynecologists.”

Why She Joined Alethea

Dr. Fahey first learned about Alethea while practicing at Westglen Medical Centre, a community family clinic in Calgary.

“It was actually Dr. Thomas Bouchard, a family doctor there, who suggested I consider getting onto Alethea. At first, I didn’t really think about the potential of the program, but once I started, I found it really useful, on both sides. I’ve consulted other specialists when I needed reassurance, and I’ve really enjoyed being able to answer other physicians’ questions.”

For her, the value lies in reducing uncertainty and cutting down unnecessary delays for patients.

“Most of the time, the referring provider already has the information, they just want that extra level of confidence they’re on the right track. But sometimes I’ll give someone a completely different plan than what they were thinking. It’s streamlined and helps patients avoid long waits when their issue could be solved right away.”

Fitting eConsults into Daily Workflow

One of the common concerns from specialists is whether eConsults will add extra workload. For Dr. Fahey, she has found Alethea to be easily integrated into her day.

“Every time I get a eConsult, I get a pop-up on my phone. I’ll often answer it between patients in clinic, while on call, or even at the grocery store. It makes me really happy to be answering a question, helping a colleague, and getting paid for it while going about my daily business.”

She also notes the system’s transparency around response times motivates her to stay engaged:

“I like being responsive. Alethea shows your average turnaround time, so I make an effort to answer quickly. Most consults take me less than a minute, provided the template is filled out well. Occasionally, I’ll spend up to 10 minutes if it’s more complex or requires follow-up.”

Improving Access to OBGYN Care in Alberta

For Dr. Fahey, one of the biggest benefits of Alethea is how it helps manage access to women’s health services in Alberta, where wait times are often significant.

“The wait times right now for gynecology are atrocious. A platform like Alethea cuts out the need for many in-person visits. The provider asks the question, and the question is answered, often within less than an hour. That is the ultimate in care delivery, where the patient gets the care they need right now.”

She emphasizes that many patients placed on specialist waitlists either no longer need the appointment by the time they are seen, or their issue could have been managed earlier with guidance from a specialist.

“Primary care providers already have the tools, they just need the expertise. Alethea allows us to provide that expertise quickly, without making patients wait months or years for something that can be solved in the moment. It’s like having a specialist in the office with you.”

Key Takeaways

Dr. Fahey’s experience highlights several important themes for family physicians and specialists considering eConsults:

• Rapid access to expertise: Most questions can be answered in less than a minute, often eliminating the need for an in-person referral.
  
• Better patient care: Patients receive timely treatment without waiting for months to see a specialist.
• Efficient workflow: Specialists can respond between clinical duties, making it flexible and easy to integrate.
• Collaboration in care: eConsults empower primary care providers while ensuring patients still benefit from specialist expertise.

Final Thoughts

As Dr. Fahey notes, Alethea offers an important shift in how women’s health and OBGYN care is delivered in Alberta. By connecting family physicians and specialists through secure, asynchronous communication, patients receive care faster, providers gain confidence in their decision-making, and the healthcare system as a whole benefits from more efficient use of resources.

“It’s like having the specialist in the office with you, without the waitlist.”

Listen to the full interview with Dr. Meriah Fahey here

Are you a physician interested in joining Alethea as a referring provider or specialist consultant? Learn more and sign up today.