A new study from British Columbia sheds light on virtual care: it’s kind of a double-edged sword.
What is the study about?
The move to virtual forms of care dramatically changed the primary way care is delivered, especially among vulnerable populations, such as people living with substance use disorders.
These shifts may result in changes to healthcare access or delivery of opioid agonist therapies. Their co-occurring health problems may also be impacted in this population.
How was the study done?
This research is part of a large mixed methods study which tracks the changes to primary care access. It uses interviews and various methods to evaluate the impacts of these changes. So far, we’ve learned from research in British Columbia, Canada between March and October 2023:
What did the study find?
(a) qualitative interviews with family physicians and people with lived/living experience of opioid use disorder document experiences with delivering and accessing virtual visits;
(b) both physicians and patients believe that the virtual care can be safe and effective for some things. Physicians, however, think that they could address more issues through virtual care than patients felt was appropriate;
(c) what makes virtual care helpful for primary care doctors is slightly different than what ticks the box for patients. Patients like its efficiency and physicians prefer interdisciplinary teams.
Why is advancing virtual care important?
The perspectives of people with opioid use disorder need to be accounted for in virtual care.
We also need to understand other impacts of virtualization on a spectrum of issues. This includes access to care and other services, such as treatment for HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis C Infection, and mental health challenges.
Citation: Spencer, S., Gooderham, E., Narayan, S. et al. “It’s kind of a double-edged sword”: a qualitative analysis of quality virtual primary care for people with opioid use disorder. BMC Prim. Care (2026). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12875-026-03583-0