Telehealth’s Potential in Rural Communities for Improving Specialist Care: Access to an Autism Diagnosis for Children in Alberta

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the growth of telehealth (Madigan et al. 2021, 1; Virtual Care Task Force 2022, 1; Canadian Institute for Health Information 2023, 4). Virtual care went from 10 to 20 per cent in 2019 to 40 per cent in 2021 (Virtual Care Task Force 2022, 4). More recently, the 2023 Canadian Digital Health Survey found that 46 per cent of Canadians have had a telephone visit and 21 per cent have utilized video conferencing for a health care visit (Canada Health Infoway 2024, 12). The 2023 Canadian Digital Health Survey suggests that there is unmet demand (Canada Health Infoway 2024, 13).1 The report found that the unmet demand was 38 per cent for video visits and 27 per cent for telephone consultations. Unmet demand, combined the “the growth in Canadian physicians’ adoption of information technology” shows promising telehealth growth for Canada (Canadian Institute for Health Information 2023, 4).