How Dialogue’s services reflect Canadian attitudes towards telemedicine

A recent study conducted by Environics Research in partnership with Dialogue divulged valuable insights into what Canadians want and expect from healthcare providers. Over 1500 Canadians of all age groups and demographics were surveyed, shedding light onto the perspectives of Canadians, including the current frustrations with the Canadian healthcare system and determining which features are valued most in a healthcare provider.

Perhaps one of the most interesting highlights of the report was that 70% of Canadians believe that virtual healthcare represents the future. Not only that, but 82% of working Canadians agree that employers should provide virtual healthcare to their employees. 

Here’s how Dialogue’s virtual care services align with what today’s Canadians want from their healthcare providers. 

How Dialogue aligns with what Canadians want from healthcare providers

Dialogue’s Integrated Health Platform, which includes the Primary Care Program, Mental Health Program, and Employee Assistance Program (EAP), offers Canadian employees the virtual care that suits their needs best. According to the recent Environics study, these are the attributes that Canadians value most in a healthcare provider today:

Accessibility

Simple access to healthcare and eligibility preferably either through work, school association, or financial institution is preferred by Canadians. In fact, the recent Environics report shows that 80% of Canadians would not be willing to pay for virtual healthcare services out of pocket. 

Did you know that Dialogue is the only virtual healthcare provider that is exclusively focused on employers and organizations? While there are telemedicine providers available to the public, the patient needs to pay out-of-pocket, while the cost of Dialogue’s services is covered by employers and organizations. Given that Canadians prefer to have employers or academic and financial institutions cover the cost and provide them with access to health and well-being resources, it’s no surprise that Dialogue has become the leader in the Canadian virtual healthcare space.

How appointments are conducted

Canadians want appointments to be conducted through their own preferred medium (phone, video, text, chat). Dialogue’s services offer a virtual experience and are conveniently accessible via smartphone or computer. Your employees can easily access the care and resources they need when they need it via video-based appointments with our multidisciplinary care team. Meanwhile, many other service providers restrict their offer to only one method of communication like chat for example which can be more time-consuming for the patient and not as safe as a video consultation.

Follow-ups

Canadians see it as important that the same healthcare professional contacts them following an appointment to ensure treatment’s success. Unlike some virtual care providers, Dialogue makes a point to conduct personalized follow-ups after every consultation to ensure that the patient is on the road to recovery. It’s been demonstrated that such continuity of care leads to better health outcomes.

Appointment timing

Canadians don’t want to feel rushed during their appointment with a healthcare professional. With Dialogue, appointments are scheduled around times that are convenient for patients. This leads to eliminating the time it takes to commute to and from doctor’s appointments, thereby increasing the levels of engagement at work.

Mental healthcare access

Easy access to mental health support is crucial to today’s Canadians. Dialogue’s Mental Health Program provides your employees access to industry-leading patient care, including unlimited access to mental health specialists and psychotherapists, as needed. This program has helped employees all across Canada get their mental health back on track, leading them to become happier and healthier at home and at work. As a part of Dialogue’s core telemedicine program, mental health services are also included.

Multidisciplinary team 

97% of Canadians want to speak to the right healthcare professional during a consultation. Dialogue’s multidisciplinary care team can help minimize time spent searching for the right specialist, provide optimal care to ensure the patient is on the road to recovery quickly, and offer improvements in preventative care. 

Virtual care has long been on the rise, and with 70% of Canadians agreeing that telemedicine and virtual care is the way of the future, it’s likely that this augmentation in use and popularity is nowhere near its peak. Dialogue’s services reflect the healthcare needs for Canadians, allowing them to be proactive about their health and well-being on their own terms and ultimately improve their health, happiness and productivity at work.

To learn more about how Dialogue’s virtual care services reflect Canadian attitudes towards telemedicine, read the full report here or check out the infographic below for more information.