Virtual Care Goes Mainstream: 87 % of Canadians Have Clicked 'Join Visit' in the Past Year: Your Doctors Online Survey

Virtual care is mainstream: 87 % of Canadians clicked “Join Visit” in 2024-25, boosting satisfaction and delaying in-person appointments, YDO finds.

TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA, July 2, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Virtual doctor visits have quietly overtaken the waiting room, according to the inaugural YDO Pulse 2025 survey from Your Doctors Online. Of 281 Canadians questioned, only 13 % said they had no online appointments in the last 12 months, meaning a decisive 87 % have already tried telemedicine.

More than half (53 %) logged one or two visits, while almost one in ten booked six or more, signalling that video consults are no longer an experiment but a habit.

“The smartphone is now Canada’s front door to primary care,” said Raihan Masroor, founder of Your Doctors Online. “Patients aren’t dabbling in virtual care—they’re depending on it because the traditional system can’t keep up. Our data show the shift is broad, deep and accelerating.”

What’s Pulling Canadians Online?

> Access, access, access. A striking 68 % said their very first virtual visit was prompted by being unable to get an in-person appointment soon enough. Convenience outside clinic hours (10 %) and infection-control worries (21 %) trailed far behind.
> The right tool for the right job. Prescription renewals and lab follow-ups lead the list of preferred virtual use-cases at 39 %, followed closely by everyday acute issues such as colds, UTIs or rashes at 33 %.
> Satisfaction is solid—but not universal. Six in ten users (61 %) called their most recent online consult satisfactory, while one in five were neutral and roughly the same share dissatisfied.

Dr. Asim Cheema, an internal-medicine specialist who consults for the service, notes that satisfaction rates climb when platforms integrate structured triage and easy prescription routing. “Patients judge virtual care by how quickly problems are solved, not by screen resolution,” he said.

Roadblocks on the Digital Highway

The survey suggests the next growth spurt depends on trust, clarity and coverage:

> The physical-exam gap: 33 % cite worries that a doctor can’t examine them in person as their top hurdle.
> Uncertainty about what’s ‘virtual-friendly’: 25 % wonder whether their issue belongs online, tying cost concerns (25 %) for second place.
> Tech and privacy jitters are niche—but real. Only 9 % blame unreliable internet, and 7 % fret about data security, yet those minorities can translate into thousands of discouraged patients.
> Virtual care also influences the bricks-and-mortar system. Nearly 30 % of users admit they delayed or skipped an in-person visit because virtual solved the problem first. Meanwhile, more than half (57 %) say telemedicine has made them feel more positive about Canadian health care overall.

The Five-Year Forecast: Screens First

Asked to look ahead, 59 % believe virtual care will handle most of their non-emergency doctor visits within five years; only 17 % disagree. Yet enthusiasm cools when artificial-intelligence helpers are mentioned: just under 39 % feel comfortable letting AI share the workload, while 52 % are not ready. “Canadians clearly want a human physician in the loop,” Masroor said.

Key Survey Findings:
> Adoption: 87 % used virtual care in the past year; 9.6 % had six-plus visits.
> Trigger: 68 % tried it because they couldn’t book an in-person slot fast enough.
> Top Uses: 39 % prescription renewals & labs; 33 % minor acute issues.
> Satisfaction: 60.9 % satisfied with their last consult.
> System Impact: 29.9 % subsequently delayed or avoided an in-person visit.
> Family Reach: 33.8 % have booked virtual care on behalf of a child or elder.
> Attitude Shift: 56.9 % now feel more positive about health care overall.
> Barrier #1: 33.4 % still doubt exam quality without “hands-on” care.

Methodology
YDO Pulse 2025 is an online survey conducted 16–22 June 2025 among 281 Canadian adults.

Vivek Seal
Your Doctors Online
+ +1 905-517-4542
email us here
Visit us on social media:
LinkedIn