Statistics Canada has published a new report entitled Patient experiences with virtual health care in Canada: Modes of delivery and satisfaction with care, wherein the report’s researchers note that those without regular health care providers are more likely to report lower satisfaction with their virtual care experiences.
They found that telephone consultations were the main modality used for virtual visits with family doctors and nurse practitioners and specialists. Doctors and nurse practitioners used the telephone with patients 77.9 per cent of the time, while specialists’ appointments occurred on the telephone 62.1 per cent of the time.
“Females, individuals with chronic conditions and frequent health care users were more likely to use virtual care,” the report states. A higher proportion of patients used video only for virtual visits with specialists (21.8 per cent) than with family doctors or nurse practitioners (9.2 per cent).
“Although policy makers and health professionals have questioned virtual care quality, patients report high satisfaction and comparable quality to in-person visits. Video visits are associated with better doctor communication, care coordination and global ratings,” they write.
The survey did not distinguish between care received from regular care providers or on-demand virtual clinics. They say individuals without a regular healthcare provider were less likely to be satisfied with their virtual care. This, they say, reflects the importance of continuity of care in patient satisfaction.
“Overall, patients reported high satisfaction, citing convenience factors as key benefits; however, satisfaction was lower among those without a regular provider or experiencing financial difficulties, suggesting unmet needs for these groups.”
