CLARIFYING MAPLE'S ROLE
I'm responding to a recent article by Saltwire highlighting questions raised in the April 16, 2024, P.E.I. legislature question period about Maple.
Maple is a Canadian virtual care technology platform founded to strengthen Canada's overburdened health-care system. In P.E.I., Maple is the software provider for the P.E.I. unaffiliated virtual care program, a publicly-funded service initiative for those without access to a family doctor. Maple provides Health P.E.I. with the technology platform to connect Islanders with P.e.i.-licensed doctors, including those working within the province's public health-care system and those who work outside the province and bill directly to the province.
There’s no question that Canada is facing a critical shortage of doctors, and P.E.I.’S situation is especially complex. It takes over 10 years to educate and train a doctor; however, Maple was designed to tap into the excess capacity of the doctors we have available today. Through Maple, doctors can take on extra virtual shifts to help patients without being pulled away from their day-to-day jobs, helping to maximize the resources available to support Islanders.
The article incorrectly portrays Maple as a private entity encroaching on the public system based on comments heard during the session.
Maple's contributions within P.E.I. have been meaningful in bridging gaps for those who don't have access to a primary care provider.
We want to clarify that the P.E.I. unaffiliated virtual care program is indeed a publicly-funded program. As a software company, Maple provides a technology platform for doctors licensed in Atlantic Canada already working within the public health-care system to maximize hours of care to unaffiliated patients. In fact, since its launch, patients who have used the P.E.I. unaffiliated virtual care program through Maple have rated their experience, on average, 4.6 out of 5 stars.
The wait times some patients may experience during peak hours are symptomatic of systemic issues and doctor shortages in Canada.
Maple’s CEO Dr. Brett Belchetz spoke with the CBC P.E.I. about this in late 2023, pointing out that Canada's different medical licences make it challenging for health providers to take on additional work nationwide; a missed opportunity, as they can fill provider gaps. A Canada-wide licence – similar to how the Atlantic region is working together – would be an example of how we can address these shortages on a larger scale.
At times, wait times in a virtual waiting room can be similar to the wait times patients may experience in a doctor’s office or walk-in clinic. The primary difference with virtual care is that it allows patients to experience care from the comfort of their homes, while also keeping seats in the ER and walk-in clinics open for those who need inperson care the most.
Maple does offer supplemental medical services that fall outside the provincial system's coverage for a fee through a direct-to-consumer program. Of course, this is an entirely optional service.
We proudly collaborate with our partners at Health P.E.I. and remain committed to providing the appropriate support to the individuals who shared their experiences anonymously. We always welcome the opportunity to clarify our purpose and role in relieving the strain on P.E.I.'S health system.
Abbey Sanford,
Manager, health system partnerships, Maple