March 24, 2022 — To reduce the spread of COVID-19 in Canada, patients receiving physician services experienced a significant shift to virtual appointments by telephone, videoconference and online messaging as many physician visits moved from in-person to virtual delivery. Beyond the pandemic, virtual care remains a significant mode of delivery and has important implications on the future of patient care and the relationships between patients and providers.
Use the snapshot report to explore patient trends in access to virtual care provided by physicians between April 2019 and March 2021 for provinces where CIHI is able to identify virtual care (Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia). To learn more, download the data tables.
Featured materials
Virtual care: A major shift for Canadians receiving physician services
Learn about the shift to virtual care for patients receiving physician services, including variations in patient age, sex, geography and income levels.
Shift to Virtual Care: Patients Who Received Physician Services
Explore data on virtual care services received by patients from April 2019 to March 2020, and from April 2020 to March 2021.