Virtual health care filling a void in Canada

By Lethbridge Herald on November 14, 2025.

Alexandra Noad
Lethbridge Herald
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Doctor shortages across the province are greatly affecting those in rural areas, with many having to travel farther than ever for basic medical care,.

But the emergence of virtual health care may be the answer for those who are unable to access in-person care.

Services such as Dialogue Health provide basic physical and mental care through employer benefits, within the comfort of the patient’s home.

Marc Robin, a family physician and director at Dialogue Health, says employer funded virtual care is not only a compliment to the health care system but is also becoming an integral part in keeping the system sustainable.

“What virtual care can do is take a lot of the burden away from those public healthcare resources in emergency rooms.”

Dialogue’s services are available to organizations and employers for a price and are usually delivered as part of a benefits plan.

Robin estimates only about 50 per cent of Canadians are able to receive health care resources within 24 hours, and having an option to see a doctor virtually is beneficial for those using the services and also leaves space in emergency rooms for those who need urgent care.

Robin says virtual health care can diagnose and treat many minor ailments such as cold and flu symptoms, rashes, insect bites and prescription refills.

He adds having the option to receive care from the comfort of your home saves the average Canadian over four hours, which allows patients to not have to take time off to seek out medical advice.

“Employers are realizing it’s a great thing to offer because it keeps people being able to attend work and decreases unplanned missed days at work.”

For people with mental health challenges such as anxiety and depression, Robin says having an online option to receive diagnoses and medication could be the difference between them seeking help or suffering in silence.

“A lot of the times what we’ve found is that virtual, being able to consult from your home, really decreases the barriers to consulting.”

He adds about 25 per cent of Canadians deal with mental health issues and many employers have realized the benefit of offering mental health support to their employees.

Dialogue serves about 23 per cent of Canadians, working through over 50,000 employers, student associations and major health insurance companies across the country.

Serving such a large population of Canadians, Robin says Dialogue prides itself on meeting the same accreditations and standards as leading hospitals in the country.

“At Dialogue we’re really proud to be the first and only (virtual health care platform) to have accreditations Canada standing as your leading hospitals would have around the country, and I think that speaks to how we can integrate and complement the public health care system while having the same standards.”

Robin emphasizes that virtual health care will not and cannot replace in-person care, but will instead complement and support the existing public health care system.