Telemedicine in Quebec in 2026: everything you need to know

You have a health problem. Not so urgent as to call 911, but real enough that you need a doctor - today, tomorrow, this week. Your family doctor isn't available for another ten days. The urgency seems disproportionate. And you wonder if telemedicine could help you deal with it without having to travel.

The answer, in the vast majority of cases, is yes.

Telemedicine is no longer an innovation - it's an established component of the Quebec healthcare system. Since the acceleration forced by the 2020 pandemic, remote consultations have become standard practice for Quebec doctors, and patients have learned to distinguish between what can be dealt with efficiently by screen and what really requires a physical examination.

This guide gives you a complete and honest picture of telemedicine in Quebec in 2026: what it can treat, what it can't, what it costs, and how to consult a Clinique Omicron doctor from anywhere in Quebec.

What is telemedicine? Definition and types

Telemedicine refers to any medical consultation carried out at a distance - between a patient and a healthcare professional - using communication technologies. What seems simple in theory, in practice covers several very different modalities, with distinct uses and limits.

Video consultation

Videoconsultation is the most comprehensive form of telemedicine. Patient and physician see each other in real time, enabling the doctor to observe the patient's general appearance, visually examine skin lesions, eyes, throat (if the patient has a flashlight), assess posture and distress level, and conduct a structured clinical interview with all the nuances of face-to-face interaction.

Videoconsultation is the preferred format for complex consultations, initial assessments, mental health consultations, and any situation where visual observation of the patient brings real clinical value.

Telephone consultation

Telephone consultation is more limited - it excludes visual observation - but remains clinically appropriate for a wide range of situations: treatment renewals, test results, well-defined clinical questions, monitoring of known conditions, and triage to direct to the right level of care. Telephone consultation is sometimes preferable to video for patients less comfortable with technology or in environments without a reliable connection.

Secure medical messaging (asynchronous consultation)

Secure medical messaging - sometimes referred to as asynchronous or questionnaire-based consultation - enables patients to describe their symptoms, transmit photos or documents, and receive a medical response from the doctor within a defined timeframe. This format is particularly well suited to simple prescription renewal requests, non-urgent follow-up questions, and situations where textual and visual description is sufficient for the doctor.

What distinguishes these formats in practice

These three formats are not interchangeable - the doctor determines which format is appropriate according to the nature of the problem. For a skin rash, good-quality photos may suffice. For an assessment of anxiety or depression, videoconsultation is clearly preferable. For a renewal of antihypertensive medication in a known patient with recent laboratory results, the telephone may be quite sufficient.

At Clinique Omicron, the consultation format is determined by the nature of the request - you indicate your reason for consultation when you book your appointment, and the doctor has the necessary context to prepare the consultation appropriately.

What can be treated by teleconsultation

That's the question patients ask most often - and the answer is broader than most people realize. Here are the main categories of conditions that can be effectively treated remotely.

Common infections and acute symptoms

Upper respiratory tract infections - colds, pharyngitis, laryngitis, sinusitis. Uncomplicated urinary tract infections in adult women. Ear infections in adults (with description of symptoms). Bacterial or allergic conjunctivitis. Uncomplicated gastroenteritis. Mild to moderate skin infections with good-quality photos. Recurrent herpes labialis (cold sore). Recurrent vaginal candidiasis in a patient who recognizes her symptoms.

Mental health

Initial assessment and follow-up of mild to moderate depression. Assessment and follow-up of anxiety disorders. Follow-up of adjustment disorders. Follow-up of insomnia. Initial assessment of adult ADHD (standardized questionnaires sent prior to consultation). Mental health medication monitoring - adjustments, renewals, treatment tolerance. Psychological support consultations.

Chronic illnesses - follow-up and renewals

Stable hypertension - monitoring, dose adjustment, interpretation of home blood pressure readings. Stable type 2 diabetes - glycemic monitoring, treatment adjustment, interpretation of laboratory results. Dyslipidemia - interpretation of lipid profile, treatment adjustment. Hypothyroidism - interpretation of TSH, adjustment of levothyroxine. Stable asthma and COPD - renewals, adjustments, action plans. Gastroesophageal reflux disease. Migraines - assessment, acute and preventive treatment, follow-up.

Contraception and sexual health

Prescription and renewal of oral contraceptives. Discussion and prescription of emergency contraception. Screening and treatment of certain STIs (with laboratory prescription). Routine gynecological follow-up between routine visits.

Dermatology

Skin rashes - eczema, psoriasis, contact dermatitis, urticaria. Acne - initiation and follow-up of treatment. Suspicion of mild skin infection. Allergic skin reactions without signs of severity. Warts, molluscums and other known benign lesions. The quality of the photos transmitted is decisive for dermatological evaluation from a distance - natural light, several angles, close-up and distant photos.

Routine pediatrics

Assessment of symptoms of common infections in children. Follow-up of known pediatric chronic conditions. Developmental and behavioral questions. Follow-up of pediatric ADHD - medication adjustments, assessment of school effectiveness.

Prescription renewals

Renewal of the vast majority of chronic medications when the condition is stable and recent laboratory results are available. Controlled substances - ADHD stimulants, benzodiazepines, opioids - are subject to specific rules that may require a face-to-face consultation, depending on the situation.

Medical letters and documents

Medical bill for absence from work or school for a condition consulted via telemedicine. Medical letter for employer or insurer. Current insurance forms. Referral to a specialist.

Other common situations

Questions about medications - interactions, side effects, generic substitution. Evaluation and treatment of erectile dysfunction. Assessment and treatment of hair loss (androgenetic alopecia). Pre- and post-travel care. Simple post-operative follow-up. Evaluation for medical certificate.

What requires a physical consultation

Telemedicine is a powerful tool - but it is not a universal substitute for clinical examination. A responsible telemedicine physician knows when to refer a patient for a face-to-face consultation. Here are the main categories.

Irreplaceable physical examinations

Cardiac and pulmonary auscultation - heart sounds, murmurs, crackles, wheezing - cannot be assessed remotely without specialized equipment. Abdominal palpation - pain on palpation, muscle guarding, palpable mass - requires a physical examination. Complete neurological examination - reflexes, coordination, segmental muscle strength - cannot be performed on video. Pelvic examination, cervical smear (Pap test) and prostate examination require physical presence.

Situations requiring an emergency or immediate in-person assessment

Chest pain, severe shortness of breath, or symptoms suggestive of heart attack or pulmonary embolism - call 911. Signs of stroke - facial weakness, unilateral loss of strength, speech problems, sudden double vision - call 911. Severe respiratory distress. Suspected fractures or significant trauma. Wounds requiring suturing. Severe abdominal pain with signs of peritonitis. Severe hyperglycemic or hypoglycemic crisis.

Technical procedures and acts

Injections, blood sampling, punctures, biopsies. Spirometry (pulmonary function). Electrocardiogram. Ultrasound and other imaging. Dressings and wound care. Joint infiltrations. Vaccinations.

Situations where physical examination significantly changes management

Ear pain in an infant - the doctor cannot visualize the eardrum without an otoscope. A newly discovered palpable mass - must be physically examined before any investigation. Acute joint pain with severe swelling - septic arthritis to be excluded in person. A child with high fever in whom a full clinical examination is necessary to rule out meningitis or serious infection.

The practical rule: when a teleconsulting physician concludes that he or she cannot offer you a safe remote service for your specific problem, he or she will refer you to a face-to-face consultation - at Clinique Omicron in Brossard or Saint-Hubert, or to the emergency room depending on the severity. This referral is not a failure of the teleconsultation - it's exactly what a responsible doctor should do.

Cost and reimbursement in Québec

This is the section that generates the most confusion - and for good reason: the situation is complex and has evolved rapidly in recent years.

What RAMQ will cover from 2020

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, telemedicine was marginal in the Quebec public health system. The pandemic forced a rapid transformation: in March 2020, RAMQ began reimbursing telephone and video consultations carried out by participating physicians. This coverage has been maintained and consolidated ever since.

Important information: RAMQ coverage applies to medical procedures performed by RAMQ participating physicians- not all telemedicine services in Quebec. A non-participating physician - or a private clinic - can bill consultations directly to patients independently of RAMQ.

The private model - why it exists and what it costs

Several telemedicine clinics in Quebec, including Clinique Omicron, operate in private model for all or part of their services. In this model, the consultation is billed directly to the patient - the RAMQ is not involved in the reimbursement of the medical consultation.

This model exists for concrete reasons: it enables us to maintain very short access times, extended opening hours, consultations unconstrained by RAMQ billing codes, and flexibility in the types of services offered.

At Clinique Omicron, telemedicine consultations are an integral part of the clinic. private fee-based services. Our complete price list is available on cliniqueomicron.ca - fees are clearly communicated before the appointment, with no surprises. We do not overcharge: the price displayed is the price paid.

Private insurance

Many group and individual insurance plans in Quebec now cover private medical consultations - including telemedicine. Coverage varies significantly from plan to plan: some reimburse in full, others partially, while others require that the physician be designated as a specialist or that the consultation be for a specific condition.

Before your first consultation, check with your insurer to see if private telemedicine consultations are covered by your plan. Most private clinics, including Clinique Omicron, provide an itemized receipt that can be used for insurance reimbursement.

Medical expenses as a tax deduction

Private medical consultations may qualify as medical expenses for provincial and federal tax credits, under certain conditions. Keep your receipts - your accountant or tax advisor can confirm eligibility based on your personal situation.

How to consult Clinique Omicron online

A two-professional model - why it changes everything

Before we get into the practical steps, there's something important to understand about how Clinique Omicron has structured its teleconsultations - and why that structure protects you.

In the vast majority of telemedicine services in Quebec, patients book an appointment online and go straight to the doctor. Fast, yes. But this approach has a blind spot: in the first few minutes of a consultation, the doctor doesn't always have time to assess whether the patient's condition is really appropriate for remote management - or whether it requires redirection to another professional, a face-to-face consultation, or even an emergency.

At Clinique Omicron, each teleconsultation begins with triage by a nurse clinician before the doctor intervenes. This is not an administrative formality - it's a clinical step in its own right, in line with best practice in telemedicine and the fundamental principle that patient safety relies on a professional cross-examination.

What triage does in practice :

The nurse clinician confirms your identity and the reason for your consultation. She assesses whether your condition can be safely managed remotely - and if not, she immediately redirects you to the right level of care: another professional, a face-to-face consultation in Brossard or Saint-Hubert, or the emergency room if the situation calls for it. She also adapts the duration, schedule or fee to the actual complexity of your situation - which means you're never under-treated for lack of time, or overcharged for a consultation that didn't require as much.

Why are two professionals involved in the same teleconsultation?

Recommendations from quality-of-care reference organizations - including the Collège des médecins du Québec's guidelines on telemedicine - emphasize the importance of an initial professional look before the actual medical consultation, particularly in a remote setting where the physical examination is absent. When a nurse clinician and a physician are both involved in the same teleconsultation file, many things happen that a single-profession consultation does not allow as effectively.

Referral errors are prevented - a condition that seems trivial in the patient's description may present clinical signals that guide triage differently. Safety is prioritized structurally, not just by individual physician vigilance. Care conforms to medical standards from the very first contact, not just during the consultation. And the doctor receives a structured triage file rather than a raw description of the patient - making the medical consultation itself more efficient and accurate.

Adjustments can be made following triage - a change in duration, a redirection, a change in rate depending on actual complexity - and this is exactly what should happen in a well-designed system. It's not a complication: it's proof that the system works.

What this means for you as a patient:

You're never alone in front of a screen, trying to describe your condition to a doctor in a hurry. Before you even see the doctor, a healthcare professional has assessed your situation, confirmed that teleconsultation is right for you, and set the stage for the most effective medical consultation possible. It's the difference between a fast service and a fast service done right.

Step 1 - Book an appointment online

Go to cliniqueomicron.ca and select the teleconsultation option. You choose the consultation reason from the list - this reason is used to assign the right professional, the right consultation time, and to identify any questionnaires or documents to be completed before the appointment. Available slots are displayed in real time - you choose the time that suits you best.

For most consultations, there's no need to download an app - the video consultation works directly from your web browser on your computer, tablet or smartphone.

Step 2 - Triage by the nurse clinician

At the scheduled time, your teleconsultation begins with a nurse clinician. She confirms your identity, collects your reason for consultation and relevant clinical information, assesses your condition in the context of remote management, and prepares the file for the doctor. If your situation requires redirection - to another professional, to a face-to-face consultation, or to the emergency room - it is at this stage that the decision is made, quickly and without delay.

This step usually takes a few minutes. It is included in Clinique Omicron's standard teleconsultation process.

Step 3 - Preparing for the medical consultation

Depending on the reason for consultation, questionnaires or documents may be sent to you before the appointment - this is particularly the case for ADHD assessments, mental health consultations, and some chronic disease check-ups. Also have ready a list of your current medications and their doses, recent laboratory results if available, and the names of your treating physicians if applicable.

Step 4 - The medical consultation

The doctor reads the triage file prepared by the nurse clinician, asks follow-up questions, makes the appropriate visual observations, and formulates his or her conclusions and recommendations. The consultation proceeds in exactly the same way as a face-to-face consultation - with the advantage that the doctor already has a structured clinical picture, rather than starting from scratch.

A standard consultation lasts 15 to 20 minutes. Complex consultations - initial assessments, complete check-ups, mental health consultations - are scheduled for a longer period when the appointment is made.

Step 5 - Prescription and documents

If a prescription is required, it is sent to you electronically at the pharmacy of your choice - or as a scanned paper prescription sent by secure e-mail, depending on the medication prescribed. Controlled substances follow specific rules on prescription format - your doctor will explain the process applicable to your situation.

Medical letters, absence tickets, insurance forms and other documents are sent by secure e-mail within the timeframe agreed at the consultation.

Step 6 - Follow-up

If follow-up is required - lab results to be discussed, treatment adjustment to be assessed, prescription refill - your doctor will let you know the recommended timeframe, and you can reschedule your appointment directly on cliniqueomicron.ca. For patients with chronic conditions undergoing regular follow-up, continuity with the same doctor is encouraged, subject to availability.

Access times

One of the main advantages of the Omicron Clinic model is rapid access. In the vast majority of cases, a consultation is available. within 24 to 72 hours following the appointment - often the same day or the following day, depending on demand at the time of booking. Slots are posted in real time on cliniqueomicron.ca.

Geographical availability

Clinique Omicron's teleconsultations are available to residents of the entire province of Quebec - whether in Montreal, Abitibi, Gaspésie or the Magdalen Islands. The only condition is that you must be physically in Quebec at the time of the consultation, in accordance with the rules of practice of the Collège des médecins du Québec.

Frequently asked questions

Can a teleconsulting physician be my family doctor?

Telemedicine at Clinique Omicron is a consultation service - we do not operate on the GAP model of enrolling a family physician with exclusive, ongoing follow-up. That said, for patients without a family physician, our consultations offer regular access to physicians who record your medical history and can provide substantial clinical continuity over time. If you're looking to register with GAP, access is via 811.

Why is there a nurse clinician before the doctor - does it lengthen the wait?

Triage by the nurse clinician usually lasts a few minutes and is part of the reserved consultation slot - it doesn't lengthen your wait, it structures your consultation. What this means in practice: your doctor comes into the consultation with a complete triage file rather than collecting basic information himself, making the medical consultation more efficient and more focused on what really matters. And if your situation requires redirection, you'll know right from the start - not after you've waited for the doctor.

Can I get a controlled substance prescription refill by teleconsultation?

The rules for controlled substances - ADHD stimulants, certain analgesics, benzodiazepines - are stricter than for regular medications. In certain situations, a renewal may be possible during a teleconsultation with your regular Clinique Omicron physician, if the therapeutic relationship has been established and the clinical situation is stable. In other cases, a face-to-face consultation will be required. The rules applicable to your situation will be clearly explained to you during the nursing triage.

Can Clinique Omicron physicians order laboratory or imaging tests?

Yes, a teleconsulting doctor can order blood tests, urinalysis, cultures, ECGs, X-rays, ultrasounds and other imaging examinations, just as in a face-to-face consultation. Requests are sent to you electronically or by e-mail, depending on the type of examination, and you can have them carried out in the laboratory or imaging center of your choice.

Are telemedicine consultations at Clinique Omicron covered by the RAMQ?

Medical consultations at Clinique Omicron are private, fee-based services. RAMQ coverage does not apply to the consultation itself in our practice model. On the other hand, medications prescribed during your consultation remain covered by your RAMQ or private drug insurance according to the usual criteria. If you have private insurance covering medical consultations, check your coverage before your appointment - a detailed receipt is given to you at each consultation.

What should I do if my Internet connection is poor during the consultation?

The vast majority of video teleconsultations work well with a standard internet connection - even a 4G cellular network is usually sufficient. If the video quality is insufficient, the consultation can continue in telephone format at no extra charge. If a disconnection occurs during the consultation, your doctor will call you back on the number provided when you booked your appointment.

 

Teleconsultation in Quebec — Private Online Doctor | Omicron Clinic