The CMA Foundation is pleased to announce a commitment of $2.5 million to advance knowledge, evidence and innovation in virtual care research in collaboration with the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR).
“COVID-19 highlighted the importance of virtual care to meet the needs of patients while preventing the spread of the virus,” says Allison Seymour, CMA Foundation president. “The CMA Foundation is pleased to support research in this area to further innovation for future virtual care models and contribute to the sustainability of our health care system.”
Canadians embraced virtual care options at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and a national poll conducted by the Canadian Medical Association shows there’s an appetite to see virtual care continued, improved and expanded after the pandemic subsides.
The CMA Foundation funding will support research that analyzes the impacts of virtual care on the physician and patient experience, equity of access to care and outcomes of care; explores how virtual care has evolved since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic; and how virtual care can continue and contribute to the recovery of the health care system in Canada in a post-pandemic world.
Today’s announcement complements the CMA Foundation’s ongoing efforts to positively impact the health of Canadians through strategic granting. It builds on prior investments for COVID-19 relief, bringing the total to more than $36.5 million since the pandemic was declared in March 2020.