Overview

• A Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) report finds 17% of ER visits involve conditions that could be addressed by primary care providers.
• Approximately half of these visits could be resolved through virtual care, such as phone or video consultations, according to the study.
• Young children, rural residents, and individuals without regular access to primary care are most likely to rely on emergency departments for non-urgent issues.
• The report highlights a nationwide shortage of family doctors, with fewer medical graduates entering family medicine and a decline in patient caseloads for existing physicians.
• Solutions proposed include expanding primary care access, improving virtual care services, and addressing broader systemic challenges like hospital capacity and long-term care availability.