Innovative virtual care in a Canadian paediatric tertiary care centre

Health systems and health workers have adapted quickly to the delivery of virtual care during this unprecedented period. Clinical programmes adopted various models of virtual care to maintain access, save on personal protective equipment, and limit the spread of infectious diseases. In this article, the authors first describe the context of paediatric care delivery during the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada, which propelled virtual care delivery. They then summarise the development, implementation and benefits of virtual care programs currently in use at the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO) for both inpatients and outpatients, including ambulatory clinics, emergency departments and the mental health program. They highlight the transferable and unique ways in which CHEO has integrated the delivery of virtual care through its governance structure, stakeholder engagement - including patients, families, health care workers and staff - the preparation and use of telehealth tools, and innovative approaches to the care of patients who require physical assessment. They conclude with their vision of the future of virtual care, which will be part of the paediatric care armoury after the COVID-19 pandemic, but will need to be subject to a common evaluation framework. Importantly, the rapid implementation of a predominantly virtual care model at CHEO has helped to maintain a high volume of quality paediatric care. The authors suggest that many of these programs should and will be maintained after the pandemic. A comprehensive and unified approach to evaluation is essential to provide constructive results that will inform sustainable care delivery models, including virtual care, and help ensure the best possible patient outcomes.