Healthcare Management Forum
Authors: Hollis Owens, MOT, MA, Nazia Nadir Shah, BSc, Michelle Lin, Rochelle Chauhan, MSc, Joan Assali, MSc, Amrit Bhullar, Kurtis Stewart, MSc, Kendall Ho, MD, Anne Lesack, Erika Pritchard, Helen Novak Lauscher, PhD

Publication Date: February 2026

Healthcare Providers (HCPs) serving Rural, Remote, First Nations, and other Indigenous (RRFNI) communities face unique challenges in delivering longitudinal care due to geographic isolation. The Real-Time Virtual Support Services (RTVS) network aims to improve equitable access to healthcare and provide collegial support for HCPs in RRFNI communities across British Columbia. The objective of this study was to understand HCPs’ experiences with RTVS and identify improvement areas. The study found that RTVS has become essential clinical infrastructure, and that providing timely virtual support as an essential service for HCPs working in RRFNI communities