Online doctor options in Ontario where you can get virtual appointments are undoubtedly in high demand as the vast majority of us do our best to avoid leaving the house and heading to a healthcare centre of any kind. 

Thankfully, technology is here to help us get through these tough times and there are a variety of online and virtual options to make sure you get the health advice you need without ever leaving your couch. 

Here are some online doctor options where you can get health advice in Ontario. 

Maple

Maple is a service that connects Canadians with licensed physicians that practice family or emergency medicine. Patients can receive medical care from their phone, tablet or computer 24/7. 

The service is also conducting COVID-19 screening in Ontario from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., seven days a week for anyone that needs to talk about possible COVID-19 infection and next steps. These screenings are covered for anyone with a valid OHIP card. 

Tia Health

Tia Health is an online service available to anyone in Ontario with a valid health card. You can book an appointment and meet with a doctor by phone, video or secure messaging on any device. You can also receive referrals, requisitions or any other necessary documents. The entire process is online, and they even provide free prescription delivery. 

Get Well Clinic

This clinic is located at 649 Sheppard Ave. West in Toronto but patients hoping to speak to a doctor without having to venture outside can use their Virtual Care service.  It usually costs $226 to register for their e-platform membership, but the clinic has waived the fee for anyone with OHIP during the pandemic.

Patients can use the service to communicate with University of Toronto-trained doctors through private messaging, file transfer, online chat and video chat.

OTN

OTN is part of Ontario’s publicly funded healthcare system, and their website provides numerous virtual care options free of charge to anyone that needs it. 

Patients can choose from a virtual visit with their doctor as well as several other more specialized services including retinal screening for diabetics and their virtual palliative care program. They also provide eConsult, a program that enables your doctor to consult with specialists across the province to get faster access to advice.

Appletree

Appletree is a service that provides virtual healthcare in Ontario, and it's free for anyone with a valid OHIP card. Not all medical conditions are eligible for the online service, so be sure to see if your health issue is on the list before making an appointment.

For those who do qualify, patients can book an appointment, add their OHIP number to ensure the meeting is covered, complete a survey, check-in online and then meet with a doctor via video or phone.

GOeVisit

This app gives patients access to a clinical interview with a Canadian doctor anywhere at any time. All you have to do is download the app and take a SmartExam clinical interview where you describe your symptoms from your phone, tablet or computer.

Patients will then receive a diagnosis and treatment plan from a Canadian medical practitioner, and they'll also get an after-visit summary with details of the meeting and treatment plan. Prescriptions, if needed, can be automatically delivered to a pharmacy of the patient's choice.

EQ Care

EQ Care was the first to introduce virtual care in Canada. They've been doing so for more than 30 years now, and they offer confidential access to doctors and specialists 24/7 in both English and French. 

Patients simply have to download the app, describe their symptoms to an EQ Care team member in English or French, talk with a doctor and then receive prescriptions, specialist referrals, medical tests, or lab requisitions.

MyDoctor Now

MyDoctor Now is providing Ontario patients with OHIP-covered telephone health assessments due to the COVID-19 pandemic. You can call the toll-free number anytime between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. from Monday to Saturday to speak with one of five medical practitioners on staff. 

The service provides assessments and prescriptions for cold, flu, sinus and eye infections; minor aches and muscle sprains; minor skin conditions; medications and birth control; UTI treatment; sexual health consultations and anxiety counselling. 

Teladoc

Teladoc allows patients to connect with a Canadian licensed physician in just minutes. Ontario residents can either call the number or download the app to be assessed by a doctor. 

Using the app, patients can choose whether the want to communicate via phone or video, select their province so they can be matched with a physician who's licensed there, and choose what time works best for the appointment. Anyone experiencing minor COVID-19 symptoms can also contact Teladoc for an assessment and advice on next steps.

Livecare

Livecare is a Telehealth company owned and operated by physicians. It allows patients to have virtual visits with a medical provider from anywhere, and it also allows people to keep track of their medical records and use online journals, health trackers and calendars.