Telepediatrics in Canada: an overview

Abstract

Telehealth in Canada is undergoing phenomenal growth owing to recent federal and provincial funding to implement the use of information and communication technologies to improve access to health care for all Canadians. This funding has been a significant factor in establishing telehealth networks in the 10 provinces and 3 territories, thus increasing access to specialty and subspecialty care from urban tertiary care centers. Every province and territory in Canada is now part of a functioning telehealth network. For tertiary pediatric centers, this offers new opportunities for providing support and outreach services to children in remote and northern communities. This article provides a broad overview of development of telepediatrics in Canada.