Virtual Primary Care

Uses

Benefits

Comparisons

Background

Highlighted claims

• Virtual care for ambulatory visits in Ontario rose from 1.6% in 2019 to 70.6% in 2020, with primary care virtual visits increasing 56-fold. — Learning from patients about their experiences with early adoption of virtual care appointments in primary care in Ontario, Canada during the COVID-19 pandemic: a qualitative study
• The study treats virtual care as a complement to in-person care rather than a complete replacement. — Learning from patients about their experiences with early adoption of virtual care appointments in primary care in Ontario, Canada during the COVID-19 pandemic: a qualitative study
• During the early pandemic, virtual primary care in Canada was delivered mostly by telephone rather than video. — Learning from patients about their experiences with early adoption of virtual care appointments in primary care in Ontario, Canada during the COVID-19 pandemic: a qualitative study
• The rapid shift to virtual care occurred with limited preparation or training for healthcare providers and little opportunity to incorporate patient perspectives. — Learning from patients about their experiences with early adoption of virtual care appointments in primary care in Ontario, Canada during the COVID-19 pandemic: a qualitative study
• Most participants wanted virtual care to continue as an option after the pandemic, with many preferring a blended model combining virtual and in-person appointments. — Learning from patients about their experiences with early adoption of virtual care appointments in primary care in Ontario, Canada during the COVID-19 pandemic: a qualitative study
• Provider preference, not patient preference, typically determined whether appointments used telephone or video, with telephone as the default modality. — Learning from patients about their experiences with early adoption of virtual care appointments in primary care in Ontario, Canada during the COVID-19 pandemic: a qualitative study
• Patients recommended that standards or guidelines be created so that patients experience consistent virtual care processes across providers. — Learning from patients about their experiences with early adoption of virtual care appointments in primary care in Ontario, Canada during the COVID-19 pandemic: a qualitative study