Doctors of BC has released an updated policy statement that recognizes the increasingly important role of virtual care in supporting patients. Key principles include: addressing gaps in care, facilitating collaborative provider practice models and supporting continuity of care.  

To ensure virtual care use meets the principles and goals above, Doctors of BC recommends that:

  • Discretion over when to utilize virtual care be left to doctors to best meet patient and provider needs; it is important for doctors to recognize, based on each unique context, when in-person care is necessary and to advise the patient accordingly.
  • Virtual care technologies be leveraged to improve patient engagement with and access to necessary health services while ensuring virtual offerings do not increase fragmentation of care.
  • Doctors be supported with the resources, infrastructure, and training necessary to use virtual care in their unique practice settings and best utilize current and emerging secure virtual care technologies.
  • Supports be provided to doctors to facilitate efficient, confidential information continuity and sharing in virtual care ecosystems between and among doctors, allied health professionals, and patients.

 The full document can be found here.