By: Thomas I. Likness
EBC News Service

(Eagle News) — A new study has found nearly a third of Canadians have not seen their family doctors since the pandemic began and another third has not seen their doctor as frequently as in the past.

“Our poll research confirms what we all suspected, that two-thirds of Canadians have delayed seeing their family physician, putting their personal health at risk and posing potentially serious ramifications to healthcare systems for years to come,” KMPG’s Aaron Berk said Monday in a news release.

The survey also found four out of five people surveyed believe the pandemic has irrevocably changed healthcare.

And there are fears the changes and the reliance on telemedicine may not benefit everyone.

“While the pandemic has rapidly accelerated the adoption of digital technology in primary healthcare, there is justifiable concern that fully replacing in-person visits with virtual care will lead to greater inequities in health outcomes,” said Berk.

Berk says 60% of those surveyed found booking an appointment online or with an app to be difficult.

“We’re seeing a massive transformation underway that needs to be managed carefully,” he added.

In a recent global report, KMPG noted that the majority of healthcare leaders expect hospitals to evolve into healthcare hubs for more complex care. The spokes of these hubs would be in community-based multispecialty clinics, primary care doctors and digitally enabled monitoring.
(Eagle News Service)