Health care workers’ experiences providing virtual care during the COVID-19 pandemic
Description: Health care workers’ experiences providing virtual care during the COVID-19 pandemic
In the fall of 2021, 1 in 4 (24%) health care workers reported they had been providing some health care services virtually since March 2020.
Among health care workers who provided virtual care, almost all provided care over the phone, nearly half provided care by video, and a quarter provided care via email, text or instant messaging.
- Phone: 87%
- Video: 47%
- Text/email: 26%
Among these three occupation groups, the percentage of workers who reported having provided virtual care was highest in the group comprising psychologists, social workers and family counsellors, followed by physicians. Nurses had the lowest percentage.
- Psychologists, social workers, family counsellors: 79%
- Physicians: 66%
- Nurses: 15%
Compared with in-person care, how is providing virtual care?
Based on their experience providing virtual care, at least 1 in 3 health care workers felt that providing care over the phone or by video was the same or better than providing in-person care.
- Phone: 33%
- Video: 39%
Experiences providing virtual vs. in-person care, by occupation group
| Occupation Type | Phone | Video | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Same or better | Worse | Same or better | Worse | |
| Physicians | 37% | 63% | 45% | 55% |
| Nurses | 38% | 62% | 40% | 60% |
| Psychologists, Social Workers and Family Counsellors | 22% | 78% | 41% | 59% |
Source: Statistics Canada, Survey on Health Care Workers’ Experiences During the Pandemic.
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