Virtual care delivery in Saskatchewan: Multi-stakeholder perspectives on implementation, appropriateness, and...

Area of Science:

• Health Services Research
• Digital Health
• Health Policy

Background:

• Virtual care programs are maturing, necessitating updated insights into stakeholder experiences.
• Understanding opportunities, barriers, and priorities is crucial for effective virtual care implementation and policy development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To update perspectives on virtual care opportunities, barriers, and priorities from patients, clinicians, and health administrators.
• To inform health policy and planning for mature virtual care programs.

Main Methods:

• Three surveys were distributed in Saskatchewan, Canada.
• Quantitative data analyzed using descriptive statistics and chi-squared tests.
• Free-text responses analyzed using thematic analysis.

Main Results:

• Chronic disease management and mental health disorders identified as highly suitable for virtual care.
• Key advantages: cost savings and improved patient access.
• Barriers: digital literacy, technology constraints, misaligned compensation models.

Conclusions:

• Participants called for increased infrastructure investment, technical support, and integrated platforms.
• Insights can guide policy and practice to enhance virtual health delivery and promote health equity.