09/12/2025
Ottawa, Ontario — Tuesday December 9, 2025
When virtual health care visits surged after 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, many hoped this would make expert care easier to access for Canadians living in rural areas.
A new study led by Andrea Evans explores whether changes in virtual care in Ontario extended the reach of specialist care by comparing driving distances between families and specialists in the time before and after widespread virtual care. The study assessed more than 25 million specialist visits and found that for most types of health care, travel distances between families and specialists stayed about the same – which meant that specialists did not start seeing people from much further away even with more virtual care availability.
“Virtual care is a powerful tool, but our findings show that it’s not enough by itself.” said Dr. Andrea Evans. “By improving referral systems and giving families more choice, virtual care can make specialists more accessible no matter where families live.”
Pediatricians and psychiatrists did see patients living farther away, suggesting virtual visits for child behaviour and mental health evaluations may help families living in rural areas.
While virtual care can make specialists more available, the research suggests looking beyond the technology of virtual care to focus on how referrals happen, and if families are given the option to choose virtual visits when it works best for them.