January 23, 2023
The OMA's study shows primary care physicians’ transition to virtual care wasn’t associated with increased ER visits by their patients. The association says there are other reasons why ERs are overwhelmed, including burnout among healthcare professionals, a backlog in care and patients showing up in greater numbers and sicker after a period of public-health restrictions. The study adds to growing research on the impact of virtual care, which took off in Canada since doctors were driven to restrict in-office visits early in the pandemic to reduce COVID-19 transmission.