Ontario Association of Cardiologists
  • About
    • Who We Are
    • Our History
    • Mission, Values & Goals
    • Initiatives & Successes
    • President’s Message
    • Board of Directors
  • Understanding Cardiology
    • Investing in Cardiology
    • Video Stories
      • Why the OAC Exists
      • Your Heart is Amazing!
      • Follow the Patient
      • A Day in the Life
      • A Patient’s Perspective
      • Cardiologists Add Value
      • Coalition of Ontario Doctors
  • Membership
    • Membership Benefits
    • Sign-ups and Renewals
  • News
  • Resources
    • Definitions & Acronyms
    • Community Forums
    • Webinars
    • Echo Accreditation
    • Choosing Wisely Canada Campaign
    • Brand & Logo Guidelines
  • Contact Us
  • Sign In
    • Sign In
    • My Account

Proposed Physician Services Agreement Eliminates Equitable Access to Patient Care

Proposed Physician Services Agreement Eliminates Equitable Access to Patient Care

March 18, 2022

Ontario’s cardiologists recommend all physicians reject agreement

Toronto, March 18 – Ontario’s cardiologists say the Proposed Physician Services Agreement (PPSA) reached by the Ontario Medical Association and the Ministry of Health will hurt many patients, particularly seniors, low-income residents, and those living in rural and remote parts of the province by making virtual care services inaccessible to them.

This is because the new virtual care framework contained in the PPSA eliminates the opportunity for consultation by telephone. It also cuts payments for assessments performed by telephone such that doctors will no longer be able to offer this service.  As a result, virtual care will only be available to those patients with access to the technology required for video conferencing.

“Patients have embraced telephone virtual care services since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Dr. Richard Davies, Deputy Chair of the OMA Section on Cardiology, and a member of the Ontario Association of Cardiologists (OAC) Board of Directors.  “The new services agreement makes virtual care inaccessible to many patients for whom travel to a medical appointment is often a significant burden to them and their families. Similarly, some elderly patients are not comfortable with the technology required for video consultations, and lower-income patients and patients in rural and remote locations may not have sufficient internet access or bandwidth. For two years, physician payments for all virtual care services have been equivalent to in-person visits, and physicians have found that it is often possible to deliver high quality care by telephone alone. Video and in-person visits can be targeted to specific situations where they truly benefit patients. There is no medical reason to restrict the use of telephone visits, and there are tremendous benefits in terms of reducing travel and the burden of care on patients and their families.”

Virtual Care – By the Numbers[i]

  • The uptake of virtual care grew exponentially during the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • Patients with the following health conditions were the greatest users of virtual care: mental health conditions, heart failure, COPD, angina, diabetes, hypertension and asthma; three of which (heart failure, angina, and hypertension) are primarily cared for by cardiologists.
  • By the second quarter of 2020, 29.2 per cent of Ontario residents had one or more virtual visits, up from 1.3 per cent in 2019.
  • In this same period, the percentage of physicians providing virtual care to meet the needs of Ontario patients rose to 85.9 per cent.
  • Only 8.8 per cent of virtual visits in 2020 used video. The remaining 91.2 per cent were conducted successfully by telephone alone.

Ontario cardiologists strongly support virtual care because of its potential to improve access to high quality care while reducing time lost and unnecessary travel by patients and their families.  It can also reduce the risk of exposure to infectious disease in doctors’ offices. However, to achieve these benefits, virtual care needs to be made accessible to all Ontario patients and the PPSA does not achieve this.

Ontario doctors vote on this agreement from March 22-27.  The leadership of the OMA Section on Cardiology and the OAC call on all Ontario doctors to vote no, and demand from the Ontario government a PPSA that makes virtual care services available and accessible to all of Ontario’s patients.

For more information, visit: www.ontarioheartdoctors.ca

[i] R. Sacha Bhatia, Cherry Chu, Andrea Pang, Mina Tadrous, Vess Stamenova and Peter Cram. Virtual care use before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: a repeated cross-sectional study. CMAJ Open. February 17, 2021 9 (1) E107-E114. https://www.cmajopen.ca/content/9/1/E107

 

Share this:
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Email to a Friend

Related News

OAC Information Webinar: Wednesday, January 25, 2023 at 8:00pm
January 18, 2023 by Tim Holman
OHIP INFOBulletin: Virtual Health Care in Ontario
December 22, 2022 by Tim Holman
Ontario Seniors and Rural Patients Will Be Hurt By New Virtual Care Rules
November 17, 2022 by Tim Holman
Latest Tweets
  • RT @PMunkCardiacCtr: For #WorldHeartDay Dr. Dinesh Thavendiranathan reminds us why the heart is so important! Show us how you take care… https://t.co/iTCIBwXU3S

    September 29, 2021RetweetFavorite

  • RT @HeartInstitute: A must-read article shining a light on #SCAD in @besthealthmag! // Un excellent article qui met en lumière la #DSAC… https://t.co/ZJWa5X0nMc

    August 20, 2021RetweetFavorite

  • Congratulations Dr. Sanfilippo! twitter.com/SEAMOKingston/stat…

    July 16, 2021RetweetFavorite

  • Interesting and valuable insights provided by @OntHeartDocs member Dr. Beth Abramson: WIC International Perspective… twitter.com/i/web/status/14121…

    July 05, 2021RetweetFavorite

  • RT @Dr_Pandey_Heart: #cbridge .@SCC_CCS .@OntHeartDocs strongly recommends all eligible Canadians to get the #COVID19Vaccine as soon as… https://t.co/I4r1XgEFeQ

    June 14, 2021RetweetFavorite

Protect, Maintain & Improve Cardiac Care in Ontario. Become a Member

Already a Member? Sign In

34 Eglinton Ave. West, Suite 410
Toronto, Ontario M4R 2H6

Tel: (416) 487-0054
Toll-Free: (877) 504-1239

E-mail: [email protected]

Quick Links
  • Contact Us
  • Mission, Values & Goals
  • Sign-ups and Renewals
  • Who We Are
  • Why the OAC Exists
  • Privacy Statement
  • Terms of Use
Find Us on Social Media

Copyright © Ontario Association of Cardiologists. All rights reserved.