Co-Design of strategies to enhance access to Virtual Urgent Care models by equity-deserving populations

Virtual urgent care (VUC) was introduced in 2020 across the province of Ontario, Canada, during the COVID-19 pandemic to provide urgent care for lower-acuity health needs for patients who did not require in-person care. Persons from equity-deserving populations (EDPs) often face barriers in using virtual models of care. To raise awareness and improve uptake of VUC among EDPs, a World Café was organized that convened a diverse group of individuals from healthcare, community, research, and/or people with living/or lived experience of health conditions to co-design VUC outreach strategies. The panel consisted of 36 persons (22 invitees; 14 members of the study team) who participated in a one-day, in-person event to reflect on key considerations related to VUC delivery for EDPs through facilitated small and large group discussions. We recorded all discussions via note-takers and analyzed the notes using content analysis. From this analysis, we identified three categories: a) lack of awareness about VUC and accessibility barriers; b) addressing issues of digital literacy and ensuring the perceived credibility of VUC; and c) opportunities for advancing VUC. Given the potential of VUC to serve as a culturally safe modality for EDPs, the World Café event served as a meaningful opportunity to exchange knowledge on health equity and to co-design strategies for improved awareness and uptake of VUC by EDPs.