Virtual Primary Care

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. The study treats virtual care as a complement to in-person care rather than a complete replacement. 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. The rapid shift to virtual care occurred with limited preparation or training for healthcare providers and little opportunity to incorporate patient perspectives. During the early pandemic, virtual primary care in Canada was delivered mostly by telephone rather than video. Provider preference, not patient preference, typically determined whether appointments used telephone or video, with telephone as the default modality. Patients recommended that standards or guidelines be created so that patients experience consistent virtual care processes across providers.