2021 Canadian Digital Health Survey
2021 Data Tables
Survey Topics
Data Tables
This data is available in an accessible format on our detailed visualizations. If data is not available for a question you’re interested in, please contact us.
| Questions | Download Excel |
|---|---|
| Q1: In what year were you born? | Download |
| Q2: In which province/territory do you reside? | Download |
| Q4: How would you describe your gender identity? | Download |
| Q5: Do you identify with the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) community? | Download |
| Q6: Do you have any of the following conditions or chronic illnesses diagnosed by a health professional (a condition that is expected to last or has already lasted 6 months or more)? | Download |
| Q7: Do you have primary or joint responsibility for providing care and/or assistance to someone? | Download |
| Q8: Do you have a family doctor or regular place of care, such as a health centre or a family medical/medicine group? | Download |
| Q9 Summary: In the PAST 12 MONTHS, please specify how many times you have done each of the following... (Summary) | Download |
| Q9r1: Visited a family doctor or regular place of care in-person | Download |
| Q9r2: Visited a family doctor or regular place of care virtually | Download |
| Q9r3: Visited a specialist physician who is not your regular family doctor in-person | Download |
| Q9r4: Visited a specialist physician who is not your regular family doctor virtually | Download |
| Q9r5: Gone to an emergency room or urgent care centre | Download |
| Q9r6: Gone to a walk-in clinic / general practitioner who is not your family doctor in-person | Download |
| Q9r7: Gone to a walk-in clinic / general practitioner who is not your family doctor virtually (e.g., Cover Health, Babylon by TELUS, Maple, Tulip Health) | Download |
| Q9r8: Visited another type of health provider in-person | Download |
| Q9r9: Visited another type of health provider virtually | Download |
| Q9r10: Obtained a prescription in-person | Download |
| Q9r11: Obtained a prescription virtually | Download |
| Q9r12: Filled a prescription in-person (e.g. picked up at a pharmacy) | Download |
| Q9r13: Had a prescription delivered to you | Download |
| Q9r14: Called a teletriage or nurse call line for health advice | Download |
| Q9r15: Completed an online health assessment (e.g. symptom checker) | Download |
| Q10: You had mentioned that you have visited the emergency room or urgent care centre in the PAST 12 MONTHS. The last time you went to the hospital emergency department, was it for a condition that you thought could have been treated by the doctor or staff at the place where you usually get medical care if they had been available? | Download |
| Q11: You had mentioned that you have visited a healthcare provider in-person in the past 12 months, please specify approximately what proportion of those visits (excluding any visits to emergency room / urgent care centre) you feel could have been conducted virtually if the option was available to you. | Download |
| Q12: In general, how would you rate your overall physical health? | Download |
| Q13: In general, how would you rate your overall mental health? | Download |
| Q14 Summary: Are you interested in having access to this electronically-enabled health service, whether you currently have access or not? (Summary - Yes) | Download |
| Q14_Lr1: Access your own personal health information electronically (e.g., lab test results, medication history, immunization record) | Download |
| Q14_Lr2: Make an appointment with your regular doctor or place of care electronically (for example, on a secure website) | Download |
| Q14_Lr3: Make a COVID-19 vaccine appointment online or on the telephone | Download |
| Q14_Lr4: View an electronic version of your referral to a specialist sent by your regular doctor to a specialist | Download |
| Q14_Lr5: Visit with your health care provider virtually online by video (similar to a Zoom or Skype call - through a web-based or smart phone application) | Download |
| Q14_Lr6: Consult with a health care provider about a specific health issue or concern without having to phone or visit an office / clinic – either by e-mail or electronic text-SMS message or online chat | Download |
| Q14_Lr7: Have a telephone consultation with a healthcare provider | Download |
| Q14_Lr8: Take part in a remote patient monitoring / telehomecare program using a device to manage a chronic health condition from your home and electronically transmit the results to a healthcare provider so that they can monitor your progress | Download |
| Q14_Lr9: Take part in a remote patient monitoring / telehomecare program using a device to manage symptoms related to COVID-19 | Download |
| Q14_Lr10: Have a prescription sent directly to your pharmacy by your physician without receiving a paper prescription | Download |
| Q14_Lr11: Send a request electronically for a prescription renewal. | Download |
| Q14_Lr12: Access websites, mobile applications (apps) or interactive online tools and services to help or support you with mental health issues you may be dealing with, such as depression, anxiety, or substance abuse | Download |
| Q14_Lr13: Access websites or use mobile applications (apps) on a smartphone or digital tablet to help you monitor certain aspects of your health or well-being (e.g. your weight, your dietary habits, the quality of your sleep, your mood, your physical activity, your blood pressure, and your blood sugar level). | Download |
| Q14_Lr14: Receive electronic reminders, notifications or alerts from any of your health care providers or places of care (e.g., an appointment reminder, medication reminders, confirmation or request to cancel, a notice of lab or diagnostic testing appointments, invitation or notice of health promotion clinics or education activities or resources) | Download |
| Q14_Lr15: Access websites to perform online self-assessments (e.g., online tools like symptom checkers) | Download |
| Q14_Lr16: Access to clinical notes associated with a medical encounter either with a primary health provider or specialist provider (i.e., a consultation report or medical notes). | Download |
| Q15 Summary: Have you ever accessed this electronically-enabled health service at anytime in the past? (Summary - Yes) | Download |
| Q15_Lr1: Access your own personal health information electronically (e.g., lab test results, medication history, immunization record) | Download |
| Q15_Lr2: Make an appointment with your regular doctor or place of care electronically (for example, on a secure website) | Download |
| Q15_Lr3: Make a COVID-19 vaccine appointment online or on the telephone | Download |
| Q15_Lr4: View an electronic version of your referral to a specialist sent by your regular doctor to a specialist | Download |
| Q15_Lr5: Visit with your health care provider virtually online by video (similar to a Zoom or Skype call - through a web-based or smart phone application) | Download |
| Q15_Lr6: Consult with a health care provider about a specific health issue or concern without having to phone or visit an office / clinic – either by e-mail or electronic text-SMS message or online chat | Download |
| Q15_Lr7: Have a telephone consultation with a healthcare provider | Download |
| Q15_Lr8: Take part in a remote patient monitoring / telehomecare program using a device to manage a chronic health condition from your home and electronically transmit the results to a healthcare provider so that they can monitor your progress | Download |
| Q15_Lr9: Take part in a remote patient monitoring / telehomecare program using a device to manage symptoms related to COVID-19 | Download |
| Q15_Lr10: Have a prescription sent directly to your pharmacy by your physician without receiving a paper prescription | Download |
| Q15_Lr11: Send a request electronically for a prescription renewal | Download |
| Q15_Lr12: Access websites, mobile applications (apps) or interactive online tools and services to help or support you with mental health issues you may be dealing with, such as depression, anxiety, or substance abuse | Download |
| Q15_Lr13: Access websites or use mobile applications (apps) on a smartphone or digital tablet to help you monitor certain aspects of your health or well-being (e.g. your weight, your dietary habits, the quality of your sleep, your mood, your physical activity, your blood pressure, and your blood sugar level) | Download |
| Q15_Lr14: your health care providers or places of care (e.g., an appointment reminder, medication reminders, confirmation or request to cancel, a notice of lab or diagnostic testing appointments, invitation or notice of health promotion clinics or education activities or resources) | Download |
| Q15_Lr15: Access websites to perform online self-assessments (e.g., online tools like symptom checkers) | Download |
| Q15_Lr16: Access to clinical notes associated with a medical encounter either with a primary health provider or specialist provider (i.e., a consultation report or medical notes) | Download |
| Q16 Summary: And did you use this service in the last 12 months? (Summary - Yes) | Download |
| Q16_Lr1: Access your own personal health information electronically (e.g., lab test results, medication history, immunization record) | Download |
| Q16_Lr2: Make an appointment with your regular doctor or place of care electronically (for example, on a secure website) | Download |
| Q16_Lr3: Make a COVID-19 vaccine appointment online or on the telephone | Download |
| Q16_Lr4: View an electronic version of your referral to a specialist sent by your regular doctor to a specialist | Download |
| Q16_Lr5: Visit with your health care provider virtually online by video (similar to a Zoom or Skype call - through a web-based or smart phone application) | Download |
| Q16_Lr6: Consult with a health care provider about a specific health issue or concern without having to phone or visit an office / clinic – either by e-mail or electronic text-SMS message or online chat | Download |
| Q16_Lr7: Have a telephone consultation with a healthcare provider | Download |
| Q16_Lr8: Take part in a remote patient monitoring / telehomecare program using a device to manage a chronic health condition from your home and electronically transmit the results to a healthcare provider so that they can monitor your progress | Download |
| Q16_Lr9: Take part in a remote patient monitoring / telehomecare program using a device to manage symptoms related to COVID-19 | Download |
| Q16_Lr10: Have a prescription sent directly to your pharmacy by your physician without receiving a paper prescription | Download |
| Q16_Lr11: Send a request electronically for a prescription renewal | Download |
| Q16_Lr12: Access websites, mobile applications (apps) or interactive online tools and services to help or support you with mental health issues you may be dealing with, such as depression, anxiety, or substance abuse | Download |
| Q16_Lr13: Access websites or use mobile applications (apps) on a smartphone or digital tablet to help you monitor certain aspects of your health or well-being (e.g. your weight, your dietary habits, the quality of your sleep, your mood, your physical activity, your blood pressure, and your blood sugar level) | Download |
| Q16_Lr14: Receive electronic reminders, notifications or alerts from any of your health care providers or places of care (e.g., an appointment reminder, medication reminders, confirmation or request to cancel, a notice of lab or diagnostic testing appointments, invitation or notice of health promotion clinics or education activities or resources) | Download |
| Q16_Lr15: Access websites to perform online self-assessments (e.g., online tools like symptom checkers) | Download |
| Q16_Lr16: Access to clinical notes associated with a medical encounter either with a primary health provider or specialist provider (i.e., a consultation report or medical notes) | Download |
| Q17: Can you tell us the online source where you MOST FREQUENTLY accessed your personal health information electronically? Is it a website or mobile app provided by... | Download |
| Q18 Summary: Using a number from 1 to 4 (with 1 being strongly disagree and 4 being strongly agree), do you agree with the following statements about the portal where you accessed your personal health information electronically. (Summary - Top 2) | Download |
| Q18r1: The online source where I access my personal health information is easy to use | Download |
| Q18r2: Overall, I am satisfied with the online source where I can access my personal health information | Download |
| Q18r3: I feel more informed about my health as a result of accessing my personal health information online | Download |
| Q18r4: I am able to set and make progress towards health goals because I can access my personal health information online | Download |
| Q18r5: I can better manage my health because I can access my personal health information online | Download |
| Q18r6: I avoided an in-person visit to a doctor and/or emergency room at least once because I was able to access my personal health information electronically | Download |
| Q18r7: I have the ability to seek, find, understand, and appraise health information included in my personal health information from electronic sources and apply them in consultation with my health care provider | Download |
| Q19: What specific health information can you currently access electronically? | Download |
| Q20: Think about your most recent virtual health care encounter, was this encounter COVID-19 related? | Download |
| Q21: Was your most recent virtual health care visit mainly with: | Download |
| Q22: What was the modality (i.e., method of communication) of that most recent visit? | Download |
| Q23: What were the reasons for choosing a virtual visit instead of an in-person visit with the healthcare provider? | Download |
| Q24: How did you pay for this most recent virtual visit or how was it covered? | Download |
| Q25: Can you tell us the online source/platform/vendor that you used to access this most recent virtual visit whether by video, telephone or email/text-SMS message. Is it a website or mobile app provided by... | Download |
| Q26: Where was this most recent virtual visit conducted (where were you at when the visit was conducted)? | Download |
| Q27 Summary: Using a number from 1 to 4 (with 1 being strongly disagree and 4 being strongly agree), do you agree with the following statements about your experience during this most recent virtual health care encounter (Summary - Top 2) | Download |
| Q27r1: The online platform/app/website is easy to use | Download |
| Q27r2: The quality of the audio and video technology was good | Download |
| Q27r3: There was technology support to guide me through the visit when I had issues | Download |
| Q27r4: The doctor was able to view my most recent medical history | Download |
| Q27r5: The visit was effective in helping me with the health issue for which I needed the appointment | Download |
| Q27r6: The personal connection with the health professional was the same as an in-person visit | Download |
| Q28 Summary: Using a number from 1 to 4 (with 1 being strongly disagree and 4 being strongly agree), do you agree with the following statements about your experience during this most recent virtual health care encounter (Summary - Top 2) | Download |
| Q28r1: I avoided an in-person visit to a doctor and/or emergency room as a result of using virtual care services | Download |
| Q28r2: My personal health information was treated with the level of privacy/confidentiality that I expected | Download |
| Q28r3: Overall, I am satisfied with the care I received through the virtual visit | Download |
| Q28r4: I would not have sought care if virtual options were not available | Download |
| Q28r5: The visit saved me time (by avoiding travel or arranging care for dependents, etc.) and money (by not having to pay for transportation/parking, care for dependents, nor having to take time off work, etc.) | Download |
| Q28r6: I felt involved in the decision making around my health care | Download |
| Q29 Summary: Please indicate approximately how much money you saved for the following by having a virtual visit instead of in-person appointment at your most recent visit: (Summary) | Download |
| Q29r1c1: Amount saved by not having to arrange for care for a dependent (e.g., a babysitter) | Download |
| Q29r2c1: Income saved by not having to take time off work | Download |
| Q29r3c1: Amount saved by avoiding travel (e.g., parking, gas, public transit) | Download |
| Q29r96c1: Other dollars saved | Download |
| Q29_other: Food / Meals / Refreshments / Other | Download |
| Q30: What was the outcome of this most recent virtual visit? | Download |
| Q31: On a scale of 0-10, with 10 being definitely recommend and 0 being definitely would not recommend, how likely is it you would recommend virtual health care visits to a friend or family member? | Download |
| Q32 Summary: Please indicate your preferred visit modality for the following circumstances. (Summary) | Download |
| Q32r1: Routine examination and screening (e.g., diabetes) | Download |
| Q32r2: Follow-up of a health problem | Download |
| Q32r3: Annual examinations | Download |
| Q32r4: Prescription renewal | Download |
| Q32r5: Mental health | Download |
| Q32r6: A minor health problem like coughs and colds | Download |
| Q32r7: Sexual health / contraception counselling | Download |
| Q33: Please select and rank up to 3 reasons you would choose virtual care visits over in-person visits in the future. | Download |
| Q34: Please tell us the online sources where you have accessed these services? Is it a website or mobile app provided by... | Download |
| Q35: How did you pay for the most recent e-mental health visit or how was it covered? | Download |
| Q36 Summary: Using a number from 1 to 4 (with 1 being strongly disagree and 4 being strongly agree), do you agree with the following statements about your experience with the e-mental health services (Summary - Top 2) | Download |
| Q36r1: Overall, I am satisfied with the care I received virtually | Download |
| Q36r2: The platform/app/website used is easy to navigate | Download |
| Q36r3: I avoided at least one in-person visit to a doctor and/or emergency room as a result of using e-mental health services | Download |
| Q36r4: Helped me to deal with a moment of crisis / distress that would have resulted in physical harm or suicide | Download |
| Q36r5: The virtual visit helped me with the mental health concern for which I needed the e-mental health service | Download |
| Q36r6: I would not have sought care if virtual options were not available | Download |
| Q37: On a scale of 0-10, with 10 being definitely recommend and 0 being definitely would not recommend, how likely is it you would recommend e-mental health services to a friend or family member? | Download |
| Q38 Summary: For each statement below, please indicate your level of agreement or disagreement: (Summary - Top 2) | Download |
| Q38r1: I am personally concerned about climate change | Download |
| Q38r2: Prior to this survey, I was aware that healthcare contributes to the greenhouse gas emissions that cause climate change | Download |
| Q39 Summary: For each statement below, please indicate your level of agreement or disagreement: (Summary - Top 2) | Download |
| Q39r1: Prior to this survey, I was aware that virtual care can reduce healthcare’s greenhouse gas emissions | Download |
| Q39r2: Knowing that virtual care can reduce healthcare’s greenhouse gas emissions makes me more likely to choose a virtual visit when it is offered | Download |
| Q40: On a scale of 1-4 with 1 being not at all knowledgeable and 4 being very knowledgeable: How knowledgeable are you about what artificial intelligence is? | Download |
| Q41: On a scale of 1-4 with 1 being very uncomfortable and 4 being very comfortable: AI has major potential when used in healthcare because it can rapidly process vast amounts of information. How comfortable are you with AI being used as a tool in healthcare? | Download |
| Q42: How comfortable are you with scientists using personal health data for AI research as long as informed consent has been provided by the patient? | Download |
| Q43: How comfortable are you with scientists using personal health data for AI research without informed consent as long as it is deidentified (i.e., personal information such as name, date of birth has been removed)? | Download |
| Q44 Summary: On a scale of 1-4, with 1 being very uncomfortable and 4 being very comfortable, how comfortable are you with the following uses of AI within the healthcare system? (Summary - Top 2) | Download |
| Q44r1: Decision-support for health care professionals (e.g. disease diagnosis) | Download |
| Q44r2: Decision-support for health care professionals (e.g. disease diagnosis) | Download |
| Q44r3: Diagnostic imaging and disease detection | Download |
| Q44r4: Precision medicine (i.e. customization of healthcare tailored to a subgroup of patients based on genes, environment, and lifestyle, instead of a one-fits-all model) | Download |
| Q44r5: Drug and vaccine development | Download |
| Q44r6: Disease monitoring at home | Download |
| Q44r7: Tracking epidemics | Download |
| Q44r8: Optimizing workflow in healthcare settings to save time for healthcare workers | Download |
| Q45: Please select and rank up to 3 top concerns you have, if any, with the use of AI in healthcare? | Download |
| Q46 Summary: On a scale of 1-4 with 1 being not at all important and 4 being very important, how important are these outcomes to you when it comes to making public investments in innovative technologies in the Canadian healthcare system (such as using AI (artificial intelligence) in healthcare? (Summary - Top 2) | Download |
| Q46r1: Ensuring that Canada doesn’t fall behind other countries when it comes to adopting health care technology | Download |
| Q46r2: Ensuring that our health care system uses leading edge digital technology and does not fall behind other sectors (e.g., banking or telecommunications) | Download |
| Q46r3: Ensuring that healthcare providers (e.g. hospitals) develop and implement a technology innovation plan to improve healthcare outcomes | Download |
| Q47 Summary: Using a number from 1 to 5 (1 being strongly disagree, 2 being disagree, 3 being undecided, 4 being agree and 5 being strongly agree), please indicate your opinion about your experience using the Internet for health information. For each statement, which response best reflects your opinion and experience right now. (Summary - Top 2) | Download |
| Q47r1: I know how to find helpful health resources on the Internet | Download |
| Q47r2: I know how to use the Internet to answer my health questions | Download |
| Q47r3: I know what health resources are available on the Internet | Download |
| Q47r4: I know where to find helpful health resources on the Internet | Download |
| Q47r5: I know how to use the health information I find on the Internet to help me | Download |
| Q47r6: I have the skills I need to evaluate the health resources I find on the Internet | Download |
| Q47r7: I can tell high quality from low quality health resources on the Internet | Download |
| Q47r8: I feel confident in using information from the Internet to make health decisions | Download |
| Q48: Have you received an opioid prescription from your doctor in the last year (e.g. codeine, Tylenol 3, oxycodone, morphine, hydrocodone, fentanyl, meperidine, methadone)? | Download |
| Q49: Have you ever received an opioid prescription where a prescriber (e.g. doctor, dentist) sent it directly to the pharmacy on your behalf, for example by fax or electronically? | Download |
| Q50 Summary: Thinking about your experience at the pharmacy when you picked up an opioid prescription that had been sent directly by your prescriber (e.g. doctor, dentist) to the pharmacy, please answer these questions using a number from 1 to 5 (with 1 being strongly disagree and 5 being strongly agree) (Summary - Top 2) | Download |
| Q50r1: It is more convenient than taking a paper opioid prescription to the pharmacy | Download |
| Q50r2: It is more efficient than taking a paper opioid prescription to the pharmacy | Download |
| Q50r3: It is less stressful than taking a paper opioid prescription to the pharmacy | Download |
| Q51: Definition of Stigma: negative attitudes and beliefs about a group of people due to their circumstances in life, expressed in a way which can cause a person to feel vulnerable, embarrassed or discriminated against. Please read the statements below and select the one that best applies to you: | Download |
| Q52: If you had the choice to have an opioid prescription sent electronically by your provider/doctor directly to the pharmacy or you take a paper version of the prescription to the pharmacy yourself, which do you prefer? | Download |
| Q53: Please tell us the reasons you prefer to take the paper prescription to pharmacy yourself. | Download |
| Q54: Some countries, including some U.S. states, have implemented mandatory electronic prescribing of opioids as a means of preventing the misuse of opioid prescriptions. In general, would you support mandatory electronic prescribing of controlled substances, such as opioids, in Canada? | Download |
| Q55: Please indicate your annual household income before taxes in the past year. | Download |
| Q56: How would you describe the community you live in? | Download |
| Q57: Approximately how far do you have to travel to visit [if they have regular doctor at Q8: your regular doctor/ place of care] [no regular doctor Q8: a doctor / clinic (NOT hospital)] for an in-person visit? | Download |
| Q58: On average, how long do you wait in the waiting room at [if they have regular doctor at Q8: your regular doctor/ place of care] [no regular doctor Q8: a doctor / clinic (NOT hospital)]? | Download |
| Q59: On average, how long does it take you to travel to to [if they have regular doctor at Q8: your regular doctor/ place of care] [no regular doctor Q8: a doctor / clinic (NOT hospital)]? MINUTES | Download |
| Q60 Summary: On average, how much does it cost you to travel to [if they have regular doctor at Q8: your regular doctor/ place of care] [no regular doctor Q8: a doctor / clinic (NOT hospital)]? (Summary Mean) | Download |
| Q60Ar1c1: Bus or train fare/cab/Uber/Lyft/gas (two-way) | Download |
| Q60Ar2c1: Parking | Download |
| Q61: Approximately how far from your home is the closest hospital with an emergency department, urgent care centre, or after hours clinic? | Download |
| Q62: Are you a Canadian citizen? | Download |
| Q63: How long have you lived in Canada? | Download |
| Q64: Our ancestry is significant in identifying healthcare issues and solutions that matter to specific communities. Which ancestry category best describes you? | Download |
| Q65: Which language do you speak most often at home? | Download |
| Q66: What is the highest level of education you have obtained? | Download |
| Q67: What is your current employment status? | Download |
| Q68: Which of the following best describes the type of health insurance coverage you currently have? | Download |