My doctor asked me to come for an in-person appointment. Why can’t we do this over phone or video instead?
Please understand that scheduling conflicts, travel distance, and/or an overall “preference” for virtual visits should not be a reason to avoid scheduling in person.
The clinic’s physicians have collectively put together this webpage - Why does my appointment have to be in-person? - to help explain why patients should continue with in-person appointments (and book in if needed) now that the pandemic restrictions have been lifted.
We would like to remind all patients that providing care exclusively in a remote manner is not possible, as there are many circumstances where an in-person visit is essential to properly ensure good medical care.
We touch more on the importance of having a local doctor here: I Have Moved Out Of Toronto
can an in-person timeslot be changed into a virtual visit?
It is not an option to convert any designated in-person timeslots to virtual. It is important that these types of timeslots remain available to patients who may need to be seen in clinic.
If you wish to be seen virtually, please cancel your in-person visit and book using the appropriate appointment type.
Please use your physician’s regular booking page to schedule a suitable appointment at your convenience instead.
can my virtual appointment be changed to in-person?
It is not an option for patients to directly convert their virtual visits to an in-person appointment.
The only way to know whether your physician is in-clinic on a certain day - would be to check their schedule.
You can visit your physician’s booking page to schedule in-person at your convenience instead (and cancel your virtual visit).
but I AM SICK, shouldn’t i avoid coming to clinic?
Patients who screen positive on our Covid-19 self-screening questionnaire can still attend in-person appointments. Please be sure to wear a mask.
It is now safe for patients to come for in-person appointments at Magenta Health for the following reasons:
high COVID-19 vaccination rates locally
the adoption of extensive infection control measures
we have many safety protocols including, but not limited to, universal masking, multiple points of COVID-19 symptoms screening and a restriction on the total number of in-person appointments at any one time to allow for physical distancing.
Doctors make decisions about the need for an in-person assessment based on years of medical training and experience, on the individual's unique circumstances and specific health concern, and on the individual's overall medical history. Requests to have a virtual appointment instead may be accommodated on a case-by-case basis only for patients who are at high risk of complications of COVID-19