JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

During the 2019 coronavirus pandemic, the rapid scaling of virtual care limited the extent to which proactive planning for equitable implementation was possible. The deployment of virtual care will persist in the post-pandemic era given patient preferences, advances in technologies, growing acceptance of virtual care, and the potential to overcome barriers to serve populations with limited access to high-quality in-person care. However, particular aspects of virtual care may leave some groups under- or unserved, and corrective implementation plans that address equitable access will be needed. The purposes of this paper are to 1) identify and illustrate challenges in equitable delivery of and access to virtual care and 2) provide actionable recommendations for research and practice. We propose a conceptual model for promoting equitable implementation of virtual care based on practical experience that integrates multi-level health system change agents and community partner engagement across various contexts.