Digital Health

What are eVisits?

eVisits are administered through a secure web platform provided by the Ontario Telemedicine Network (OTN) and enable you to easily connect to your patients, no matter where your patient is located. Extending the reach of your practice through videoconferencing is easy to do and offers flexibility – to providers, to patients, and to your practice. Virtual care is key to enhancing access and modernizing health care delivery for all Ontarians. 

How Does it Work?

There are two options for connecting by video with patients: to a health care facility near the patient’s home or direct to the patient’s device. 

  • Hosted Video Visit: a synchronous video visit with a patient who is physically located and supported at a patient host site during the clinical encounter. Host sites are secure physical environments that organizations offer on-site to provide patients with convenient access to videoconferencing technology and, in some cases, clinical support services (nursing support, diagnostics through peripheral devices).
  • Direct-to-Patient Video Visit: a synchronous video visit with a patient in the home or another location of their choice (i.e. the patient is not at a patient host site). This includes situations where a patient is scheduling and managing the encounter independently using their own technology, or where an organization is providing support resources that are with the patient (e.g. nursing support, technology).

How to Use eVisits:

You can watch a video on Creating and Sending an OTNinvite. You can also reference How to Schedule and Join an eVisit for additional information. 

For assistance in determining if an eVisit is appropriate, please see the Patient Eligibility Checklist and eVisit Selection Criteria List. 

Please view the Videoconferencing Best Practices for helpful advice while using eVisits. 

You can use the OTN Direct-to-Patient Video Visits Toolkit for more information. 

Tutorial Videos

Scheduling a Video Visit for yourself on the OTNhub  

Connecting to a scheduled call from the OTNhub

Scheduling a Video Visit on Behalf of a Consultant on the OTNhub 

How to Bill for eVisits:

Please refer to the Ministry of Health INFOBulletin for full details on billing for eVisits.

All physicians will need to complete the attached “OHIP Virtual Care Physician & Dentist Registration Form” and submit to serviceactivation@otn.ca in order to bill for eVisits. Please reference OHIP Billing Information for Telemedicine Services for additional information.

When submitting your claims to SEAMO Billing Service:

  • Billing Sheet for eVisits and Telephone Consults for services provided on/after April 01, 2020.
  • Billing Sheet for eVisits and Telephone Consults for services provided up to and including March 31, 2020.

Using OTN – for physicians that are already registered

Using OTN – for physicians who are new to OTN

Using another platform (i.e. Zoom, Skype, Facetime, Reacts...)

  • Use the information provided in the OHIP Bulletin issued March 13, 2020

Summary of Eligible Fee Codes

  • Temporary Billing Codes for non-OTN platforms:
     
    • K080: $23.75 - minor assessment of a patient by telephone or video, or advice or information by telephone or video to a patient’s representative regarding health maintenance, diagnosis, treatment and/or prognosis
       
    • K081: $36.85 - a. intermediate assessment of a patient by telephone or video, or advice or information by telephone or video to a patient’s representative regarding health maintenance, diagnosis, treatment and/or prognosis, if the service lasts a minimum of 10 minutes; or b. psychotherapy, psychiatric or primary mental health care, counselling or interview conducted by telephone or video, if the service lasts a minimum of 10 minutes
       
    • K082: $67.75 - psychotherapy, psychiatric or primary mental health care, counselling or interview conducted by telephone or video per unit (unit means half-hour or major part thereof)
       
    • K083: Specialist consultation or visit by telephone or video

For more information see the OHIP INFOBulletin.

Consideration for SEAMO Funded Specialists: 

eVisits are either in-scope or out-of-scope depending on the location of the physician. The location of the patient has no bearing on whether an eVisit is in or out of scope. If a physician is physically located at one of the in-scope sites (KGH, Hotel Dieu or Providence Care) when conducting the eVisit, the service is considered in-scope. If a physician is NOT physically located at one of the in-scope sites (KGH, Hotel Dieu or Providence Care) when conducting the eVisit, the service is considered out-of-scope.

Eligible for Direct-to-Patient Video Visits? 

Primary Care 

Please refer to this Ministry of Health INFOBulletin for full details.

At this time Direct-to-Patient Video Visits in primary care are only allowed if the physician:

  • is in a Patient Enrollment Model (PEM);
  • is delivering care to a patient rostered to the same PEM practice; and
  • deems the Direct-to-Patient Video Visit to be appropriate according to their professional judgement and in the best interests of their patient and the patient consents to receive a video visit.

This means that any rostered patient in a PEM can see any physician in the PEM they are rostered to by a Direct-to-Patient Video Visit, if appropriate.

All PEM types are eligible. This includes Family Health Organization, Family Health Network, Family Health Group, Comprehensive Care Model, Blended Salary Model, Rural and Northern Physician Group Agreement, St. Joseph’s Health Centre, Weeneebayko Area Health Authority, GP Care of the Elderly, and GP HIV patient enrollment models.

To be eligible to conduct video visits and to register for OHIP billing please see the OHIP Virtual Care Physician & Dentist Registration Form.

Specialist 

All specialists are eligible to deliver Direct-to-Patient Video Visits if it is deemed to be appropriate according to their professional judgement and in the best interest of their patient [See CPSO telemedicine policy] and the patient consents to receive a video visit.

To learn more about how eVisits work see the OTN Virtual Care for Providers.