CHEO Discontinues Virtual ER Service As In-Person Demand Increases – Ottawa | The Canadian News

Ottawa Children’s Hospital suspends the first virtual emergency department services of its kind to return resources to in-person care.

CHEO said in an announcement Wednesday that the hiatus will last at least 90 days.

“This suspension allows CHEO to reassign much-needed virtual care staff to provide in-person support to children and families who come to our emergency department,” the Eastern Ontario Children’s Hospital said in a statement.

CHEO said it has seen an “extraordinary demand” for urgent care in person since the summer months.

In October, the CHEO emergency room treated more than 7,100 children and youth in person, up 68 percent year-over-year. That’s also higher than the typical month in “peak viral season,” which runs from December to April, the hospital said.

CHEO launched its virtual emergency department in May 2020 in the first weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic. It was believed to be the first such offering in Canada.

At the time, CHEO CEO Alex Munter said the hospital was experiencing a significant decrease in emergency room visits attributed to general malaise around in-person care during the pandemic.

The hospital said it remains “committed to offering virtual care options” in the future, with expectations that remote emergency room visits will resume.

1:51Virtual medical appointments here to stay