More than half of Canadians who used health care services in 2023 attended only in-person appointments, while just over one-third combined virtual and in-person visits, according to new federal data.
Statistics Canada reported 57.5% of health care users had in-person appointments exclusively in the 12 months before the survey, conducted from July to September 2023. Another 37.2% used both in-person and virtual care, while 5.3% had virtual appointments only.
The findings show virtual care remains an important delivery channel following pandemic-era peaks, though usage has declined since COVID-19 lockdowns when virtual visits accounted for 61% of all coronavirus-related health care visits in April 2020.
Education and health status linked to virtual care use
Among Canadians who wanted or were offered virtual care in 2023, 78.5% completed a virtual appointment, the data showed.
University degree holders were more likely than those with a high school diploma or less to access virtual care. Patients with multiple chronic conditions also showed higher virtual care use compared to those without chronic conditions.
Individuals without a regular health care provider were more likely to have virtual appointments only, rather than mixing virtual and in-person care. The data suggests virtual walk-in clinics may fill a care gap for these patients.
Most virtual visits involved family doctors
Among virtual care users, 62.1% consulted only a family doctor, general practitioner or nurse practitioner. Another 22.2% saw multiple types of providers virtually, while 10.2% met with a medical specialist only.
Fewer than one in 10 health care users declined a virtual appointment in 2023. Of those who declined, 47.9% cited greater comfort with in-person care as the reason, while 40.3% said their health issue required an in-person appointment.
Technology-related concerns were uncommon reasons for declining virtual care. Only 9.1% cited discomfort with technology, 6.1% raised privacy or security concerns, and 5.8% reported connectivity issues.
Provincial variations in virtual care adoption
Virtual care use varied significantly across provinces. Newfoundland and Labrador and British Columbia had the highest rates, with more than half of residents using both in-person and virtual appointments.
In contrast, Quebec, Prince Edward Island and Alberta saw roughly 70% of patients using in-person appointments exclusively.
The research found no differences in virtual care access based on urban versus rural location, immigrant status, sexual orientation or financial well-being.
The study used data from the Canadian Social Survey on Quality of Life, Virtual Health Care and Trust, which surveyed 9,288 non-institutionalized Canadians aged 15 and older living in the 10 provinces.
