I'll try to be very quick, to give time for our other witness.
The virtual care is crucial. We had it generally before the pandemic. Obviously, the pandemic forced us all to be doing it. In 2022, despite most of our patients having the physical ability and COVID ability to come in, many patients still choose virtual because of the ease for them.
In psychiatry, there are occasions that I need to do physical exams, take measurements and see people in person. I will always need an office to be able to do that, but the delivery of virtual care safely is really important. It would require making sure that we have the infrastructure, that patients and families understand the importance of privacy during those times, and that we have good audits to make sure that the quality of care doesn't decrease.
However, I can say without question that most of my patients and families prefer virtual appointments in 2022 over in-person appointments. I think we have to consider why that is.