CMAJ : Canadian Medical Association journal = journal de l'Association medicale canadienne
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Observational Study
Association between virtual primary care and emergency department use during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic in Ontario, Canada.
Uptake of virtual care increased substantially during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether a shift from in-person to virtual visits by primary care physicians was associated with increased use of emergency departments among their enrolled patients. ⋯ We did not find evidence that patients substituted emergency department visits in the context of decreased availability of in-person care with their family physician during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Future research should focus on the long-term impact of virtual care on access and quality of patient care.