Care When You Need It
How virtual healthcare can make professional support easier to reach
When you are unwell, managing an ongoing condition or living far from a clinic, getting care should not mean a long drive, a crowded waiting room or putting your day on hold.
Virtual healthcare also called telehealth or virtual care allows you to consult a qualified healthcare professional by secure video, telephone or, in some services, secure messaging. From your home, workplace or another private location, it can offer a practical route to care when an in-person appointment is difficult to arrange.
Why virtual care matters in Canada
Access to primary care remains challenging for many Canadians. The Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) reports that 17% of Canadian adults did not have a regular healthcare provider in 2023, while only 26% said they could obtain a same- or next-day appointment. These figures help explain why timely, appropriate virtual options can make a meaningful difference.
CIHI also reports that one in three Canadians received primary care virtually in the previous year. At a system level, 9% of emergency department visits involved conditions that could potentially have been managed virtually in primary care. The opportunity was even greater in rural or remote communities: 13% of visits, compared with 7% in urban areas. These statistics do not determine what is appropriate for any individual patient, but they show how virtual care can help close access gaps.
The convenience is simple: less travel, fewer disruptions and a professional conversation from wherever you can connect privately.
Support for ongoing condition
For someone living with diabetes, asthma, anxiety, chronic pain, a mobility limitation or another ongoing condition, travel and waiting can consume energy that is already limited. A virtual consultation may be useful for certain follow-ups, medication discussions, symptom reviews, test-result discussions, mental-health support or care-plan questions depending on the condition, available records and the clinician’s assessment.
Virtual care can also make it easier to involve a caregiver or family member, if the patient consents. It may help people who cannot drive, have difficulty taking time away from work or caregiving, face transportation barriers, or live in an outlying area where services are limited.
Convenient does not mean lower quality
A high-quality virtual consultation should still include careful history-taking, clinical questions, discussion of risks and next steps, and clear instructions on when in-person care is required. The clinician may decide that a physical examination, testing, imaging or urgent assessment is necessary. That is not a failure of virtual care it is safe clinical decision-making.
Continuity matters too. When possible, choose a service that can provide visit notes, communicate follow-up instructions and help you understand how information can be shared with your regular healthcare team.
Know when virtual care is not enough
Telehealth is not intended to replace emergency care. Call 911 or seek immediate in-person help for severe breathing difficulty, chest pain, signs of stroke, loss of consciousness, severe bleeding, a serious allergic reaction or another life-threatening concern. If you are unsure whether a symptom can be assessed virtually, say so when booking and follow the service’s triage advice.
The right care should fit the situation. For many non-emergency concerns, virtual healthcare can reduce the distance between “I need help” and “I have spoken to a professional.”
Six tips for a better virtual appointment
- Choose a quiet, private place. Use headphones if others are nearby and avoid taking the appointment while driving.
- Test your device first. Check the link, camera, microphone, internet connection and charger before the scheduled time.
- Have the essentials ready. Keep your health card, medication list, allergies, pharmacy details and relevant readings or reports nearby.
- Describe the timeline. Explain when symptoms began, what has changed, what makes them better or worse and what you have already tried.
- Ask for the plan in plain language. Confirm treatment instructions, warning signs, follow-up timing and whether you need in-person care.
- Protect your information. Use a trusted service, a private connection where possible and ask how your personal health information is handled.