Digital Health Week
Want to join the celebration?
Each week, nine out of 10 doctors give this helpful advice: “You’re on mute.”
And that’s reason to celebrate. Although in-person visits will always remain a cornerstone of care, there are many reasons patients might opt for a virtual visit:
- Safe access to care during a public health emergency
- Challenges arranging daycare or time off work
- Mobility issues
- Prescription renewal
- Need to ask their health care provider a question
- Support managing an ongoing health issue
- Live in a remote region
What does access to digital health mean for Canadians each week? We broke down the numbers.1
Each week, 350,000 people go to their health provider without leaving their house.
Each week, 250,000 people get a prescription without getting a piece a paper.
Each week, 450,000 Canadians take a step forward without taking any steps at all.
Patient Impact
“I felt lucky that I could have a [virtual] appointment… I felt safe, I felt protected, and I still had access to what I needed.”
— Anne O’Riordan, Infoway Patient Partner
Virtual Care Benefits Calculator
Virtual Care can help Canadians save time and money, as well as reduce emissions. Calculating the financial, environmental and time saving benefits of choosing virtual care over in-person visits using our new Virtual Care Benefits Calculator.
Clinician Impact
“It’s incredible how much time the secure communication tool saves by enabling us to communicate directly with the prescribing physician.”
— Tarek Hussein, Pharmacist, on e-Prescribing with PrescribeIT
Canadian Digital Health Survey
Every year, Infoway conducts a national survey to explore Canadians’ attitudes about and adoption of digital health.
Which digital health technologies are Canadians using and how do they feel about them? How have the tools increased access to care and improved Canadians’ ability to manage their health? Explore the results of our survey.
Participating Organizations
1Canadian Digital Health Survey: What Canadians Think, Canada Health Infoway. 2021.
Base: All respondents (n=12,052); total virtual encounters (n=85,558 visits).
*Virtual encounters include visits with a health care provider, calls to a teletriage or nurse call line, and completing an online health assessment.
**Health providers includes family physicians, specialist physicians, general practitioners at a walk-in clinic, teletriage line/nurse call line, and other regulated health care professionals such as midwives and dentists.
Canadian population over the age of 15 is 32M. Statistics Canada. Table 17-10-0005-01. Population estimates on July 1st, by age and sex.