Canada's Dermatologist Shortage and Care Crisis
- SkinMD

- Aug 31, 2024
- 1 min read
DermCafé Dermatologist, Dr Annie Liu, sat down with AM800 CKLW Windsor The Shift with Patty Handysides to discuss Canada's Dermatologist shortage and care crisis
Listen to the full interview here
"There's fewer than 700 Dermatologists for Canada's 38 million population"
"In most small Canadian cities, the wait-time to see a Dermatologist is infinite...there is no Dermatologist...and where there is a neighbouring dermatologist 3 hours drive away, the wait times can be at least 9 months...even in Toronto, there are areas where the wait times are over 6 months"
"Could Dermatologists do more with virtual appointments? Absolutely. DermCafé has provided over 75 000 visits to Canadians. And we have seen that patients are quite pleased with the convenience and accessibility of virtual services at DermCafé""
"Would more virtual care free up space for people waiting to be seen in-person?"
"Our goal beyond providing modern and accessible care, is also to help the system. For every acne patient that we can see virtually, that frees up space for those patients who need to be seen in-person, such as skin cancer patients"
What do you think about the current state of
dermatology care in Canada?





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