As Nicole Campbell tossed and turned in bed at three a.m., she realized she was in need of a doctor close to her cottage.
But the Bobcaygeon, Ontario, real estate agent knew that meant enduring a sleepless night and long wait times at a clinic or emergency room the next day. Luckily, Campbell was a member of Maple, a virtual healthcare app that connects people with primary care providers 24/7.
Help was available immediately. “I jumped on Maple on my cell phone, lying in bed,” she says. “I was able to connect with a doctor right away, and they talked to me and I got everything I needed. It was super simple, and they sent my prescription directly to my local pharmacy.”
Any cottager who’s forgotten a prescription at home or needed a doctor to assess a strange rash will know that convenient care is rare in cottage country—and throughout most of rural Ontario. The Rural Ontario Municipal Association (ROMA) reports that rural Ontarians are losing primary care providers at a rate of 12 per cent every year—four times faster than people in urban centres.
ROMA estimates that 525,000 rural Ontario residents lack access to a primary care provider.
For residents, that means travelling long distances to a walk-in clinic or spending hours sitting in a hospital waiting room to see a provider—even for minor issues like a prescription—because there are not enough doctors.
As people outside of cottage country arrive for the summer season, local health systems become even more strained. This summer influx means that both full-time and part-time cottagers are navigating long wait times at understaffed hospitals or limited walk-in clinic hours since most people in the area don’t have a primary care provider.
Campbell says even those lucky enough to have a local doctor have to wait days for an appointment because doctors are overbooked.
“A lot of times people up here will say, ‘I love where I live, it’s so scenic and beautiful,’ but health care is not good because hospitals are so overpacked and understaffed.”
Maple works by tapping into the excess capacity of healthcare providers who can take on extra virtual shifts to help patients without being pulled away from their day-to-day jobs. Canadians can connect with primary care providers directly through Maple’s mobile app, whether they’re at the cottage, at home, or on the open road. Primary care providers on Maple can conduct digital diagnoses, issue referrals, and fill prescriptions that can be sent to your pharmacy. If needed, specialists like dermatologists, endocrinologists, and mental health therapists can be booked directly through the app.
“Maple makes it so easy for people to use, and in cottage country the ease of use and access is so important,” says Nicole. “You can use the app from your home, which is so amazing—you don’t have to go anywhere.”
So how can you get immediate access to doctors or other health professionals, 24 hours a day? Simply follow these steps:
1) Create your Maple account.
Download the Maple app on your Apple or Android device and create an account. Or register on Maple’s website. In Ontario, a Maple subscription is $79.99 a month, and includes unlimited visits with a primary care provider who can provide digital diagnoses and prescriptions. Specialists are available for direct booking within the app, and users get an $80 credit towards a specialist visit.
2) Describe the symptoms you’re dealing with.
Whenever and wherever you need help, simply log into the app and explain the symptoms you’re experiencing. Maple may ask more questions to better prepare providers for a visit.
3) Chat with a primary care provider.
Depending on your needs, you’ll be connected with the appropriate provider. This conversation will usually take place through texting, but the doctor or nurse practitioner may request a video call or phone call, depending on your issue.
4) Get the help you need without the hassle.
Your provider can provide a diagnosis, lab-work requisition, doctor’s note, or prescription, which you can then pick up from your preferred pharmacy. And if you need a specialist, Maple gives you access to more than 25 specialties, from dermatology and endocrinology to psychotherapy.
Ready to connect with doctors 24/7? Learn more about Maple, Canada’s leading virtual care app.
Photo credit: Nick Starichenko / Shutterstock