It’s an issue many British Columbians are familiar with: Waiting for weeks to see their family doctor or waiting for hours at a walk-in clinic as the province continues to deal with a doctors’ shortage.

One solution could be telehealth, as more and more patients and doctors are now choosing that path to alleviate the shortages.

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“It’s unlikely that we will be able to hire and train enough physicians to get us out of this problem,” said Dr. Darren Joneson, president of BC Family Doctors.

After waiting more than two years for a family doctor, Alfadzrin Banada turned to online telemedicine platform Avee Health and found care virtually.

“I was having a hard time finding a family doctor, hard to see one even in a walk-in clinic,” he told CityNews.

“It’s friendly and nice to deal with, and you can get care quickly. Sometimes, with family doctors, you still have to schedule.”

The platform gives patients real-time estimates on when they can speak with a doctor virtually.

For example, when checking the app at 12:30 p.m. on a weekday, the next available appointment is at 1:50 p.m., on the same day.

The service is free for patients covered by MSP and offers care in 26 different languages.

Dr. Judy Dercksen moved her practice from Quesnel to Vancouver Island two years ago, and she now solely provides care through Avee Health.

“What it does allow for is the flexibility for the patients and me,” Dercksen told CityNews.

“I think it’s here to stay, I think it alleviates a lot of burden on the doctors, I think it helps with burnout.”

B.C. family doctors say that while telehealth has been a lifeline for many patients, in-person care is still a necessity.

“It has certainly allowed patients to continue working; it’s allowed rural communities to access physician services that they would not have had access to otherwise,” Joneson said.

“It’s not a replacement for the in-person touch, but not everybody in B.C. right now has that privilege.”

In 2025, Avee Health saw over 200,000 online patient visits, while more than a quarter of British Columbians are still without a family doctor.