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Virtual Care in Canada: Navigating the Future of Healthcare with Equity, Privacy, and Accessibility

Endorsed in:

September, 2024

Paper Type:

Position Paper

Authors:

  • Zoe Tsai
  • Rohan Singh
  • James Wang

Background:

Virtual care has become integral to the delivery of healthcare for an increasing number of Canadians, providing convenience and ease of access to both patients and their healthcare providers. However, its rapid adoption has also outpaced necessary regulation to safeguard the health and personal information of Ontarians. In the wake of large-scale cyber security attacks targeting healthcare centers, significant concerns exist surrounding the safeguarding of patient data. Furthermore, the rise of virtual-only services highlights how virtual care may be inappropriate for some patients, depending on their condition and clinical history. Users of virtual healthcare services have complained about a lack of continuity of care, as they are frequently connected to different physicians when using virtual services. Additional guidelines and frameworks are needed to help healthcare providers and organizations make decisions regarding when virtual care is a suitable option for patients, and to develop sustained clinical relationships. The lack of regulation has also led to the rise of fee-based virtual healthcare services, offering fast access to healthcare providers at an increased cost and challenging Canadian healthcare principles. While measures have been taken, increased regulation and standardization of virtual care is required to ensure its responsible use as part of high-quality healthcare delivery.

Recommendations:

The Ontario Medical Students Association recommends the following:

  1. That the Ontario Ministry of Health implements and enforces a regulatory minimum standard for the privacy and quality of virtual care provided within the province;
  2. That healthcare providers and organizations receive training and resources to comply with virtual care privacy guidelines;
  3. That OMSA collaborates with cybersecurity experts to develop educational resources for medical students and healthcare professionals;
  4. That the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care works with the College of Nurses of Ontario to develop a framework for medically necessary services provided by nurses to be covered under OHIP.
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