Virtual visit or home visit? How to choose

The one question that decides it

Does the doctor need to touch, listen to, or look closely at something? If yes, book a home visit. If no, a phone or video visit will usually get you seen sooner, from wherever you are in Manitoba.

Almost every other consideration follows from that. Where you live, how soon you need to be seen and who the patient is can change the answer, and the sections below walk through each one. If you are still unsure at the end, start virtual. The physician will tell you if a hands-on exam is needed, and a home visit can be arranged.

Concern by concern

These are concerns our physicians commonly see, sorted by which visit type usually suits them. It is a guide, not a rule. The physician makes the final call, and will move you to a home visit if that is what your situation needs.

Usually fine by phone or video

• Cold, flu and COVID-19 symptoms you can describe clearly
• Urinary symptoms
• Pink eye, cold sores and many rashes, especially over video
• Reviewing lab or imaging results
• Blood pressure and diabetes check-ins for a stable, ongoing condition
• Checking how a treatment is working
• Stress, low mood and anxiety, when you want an unhurried conversation
• Lab and imaging requisitions, referrals to specialists, and sick notes and forms where appropriate

Usually better in person, at home

• Ear and sinus pain, sore throats and coughs where the doctor needs to look or listen
• Sprains, strains, joint pain and back pain that need a physical exam
• Minor cuts, wounds, burns and skin infections that need to be seen up close
• Swelling, or anything that has changed and stayed changed
• Recovery after surgery or a hospital stay
• A full review of everything someone takes, with the bottles in hand
• Anyone who finds leaving the house hard, painful or exhausting

Not for either: call 911

Chest pain, trouble breathing, severe bleeding, signs of a stroke, a severe allergic reaction or a serious injury need 911 or the nearest emergency department, not a booked visit of any kind.

Phone or video: which virtual visit?

A phone is enough for most virtual visits. Video helps when the doctor would benefit from seeing something, such as a rash, an eye or how someone is moving. You do not need special equipment: a smartphone, tablet or computer with a camera works. Both connect you with the same licensed Manitoba physicians and are covered the same way.

Where you are

Virtual and phone visits are available anywhere in Manitoba with a valid health card. Both you and the physician must be in Manitoba at the time of the appointment, and that is the only location rule. Home visits cover select Winnipeg neighbourhoods and are area specific. If your address is outside the area on the day, virtual is your option, and it is a real one, not a consolation prize. Check your postal code or call to confirm.

How soon you can be seen

A virtual visit is often the quicker of the two, because it does not depend on travel across the city. Same day home visits are usually possible when you call early and your address is in an area we cover. We answer from 8:00 AM to 9:00 PM, seven days a week. If being seen today matters more than being seen in person, say so when you call. Our guide to getting a same day doctor visit at home explains what makes today possible.

Who is being seen

The patient often decides it before the symptoms do. A home visit tends to suit an older parent for whom a trip across the city takes the whole day, someone with limited mobility, someone recovering after a hospital stay, or a young child who would be miserable in a waiting room. A virtual visit tends to suit an adult with a clear, everyday concern who would rather not lose half a day to a clinic.

Arranging care for a parent? Our caregiver guide covers consent, preparation and what to ask before the doctor leaves.

Getting ready for each

Both start the same way: have the Manitoba Health card number for the person being seen. After that, the preparation differs a little.

What if I pick the wrong one?

There is no penalty for guessing wrong. If a physician starts a virtual visit and decides a hands-on exam is needed, they will tell you and a home visit can be arranged, also covered by Manitoba Health. If a home visit is not possible today, a virtual visit is often available sooner.

Is coverage different?

No. Manitoba Health covers insured virtual and phone visits at the same rate as in-person care. With a valid health card you pay nothing for either. Our page on whether home visits are covered by Manitoba Health sets out what is included and the few things that are not.