Baycrest

BrainMATTERS SPRING|SUMMER 2021 15 According to a survey by Canada Health Infoway, the number of virtual healthcare visits with primary care physicians and specialists jumped from 10-20 per cent before the pandemic to 60 per cent in March and April 2020. As digital health solutions continue to expand, 76 per cent of Canadians said they are willing to use virtual care after the pandemic ends. Before in-person visits came to a grinding halt last year, Baycrest was already looking at virtual technology as a way to reach more people in need of its services, particularly those who can't easily travel to its campus. In some instances, the pandemic accelerated the adoption and expansion of virtual care at Baycrest; in others, it motivated its development entirely. Perhaps one silver lining in this devastating crisis is that it has improved access to Baycrest's expertise so that older adults at home, in acute care hospitals and in long-term care and retirement homes can live their best possible lives. VIRTUAL COGNITIVE ASSESSMENTS The Sam and Ida Ross Memory Clinic is a perfect example of this. People experiencing memory problems, cognitive issues and signs of dementia are referred to the Memory Clinic for assessment and treatment. A pilot project was conducted in 2018 to offer virtual patient follow-up visits using video conferencing over the secure Ontario Telemedicine Network, and plans were underway to test virtual cognitive assessments for new patients. When the pandemic struck, Dr. Morris Freedman, a behavioural neurologist who heads the clinic, and his team had to quickly pivot to offer all patient visits virtually. Enormous effort went into adapting the assessment for a virtual platform, developing virtual visit guidelines for patients and their families, and training virtual volunteers to provide technical support to patients. Virtual care has been such a success that in-person Memory Clinic visits are likely to become the exception rather than the norm. This means people across Ontario will have access to this much-needed service without having to travel to Baycrest. "Virtual care has been such a success that in-person Memory Clinic visits are likely to become the exception rather than the norm." Propelled by a Crisis VIRTUAL PROGRAMS ARE IMPROVING ACCESS TO CARE 3

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