Is Digital Locum Work The Future Of Flexible Physician Practice In Canada?

Telemedicine has moved from a niche service model to a routine part of Canadian practice. Virtual care use in Canada increased substantially during the COVID-19 pandemic and remains in higher demand than before the pandemic. In 2025, 5.3% of Canadians received care exclusively through virtual appointments, and 37.2% utilized a combination of virtual and in-person appointments. At the same time, locum work has become more digitally organized through online marketplaces, remote credentialing, and virtual clinical workflows. The overlap of these trends has created a growing category of digital locum opportunities: temporary physician coverage delivered partly or entirely through telemedicine.

Digital locum work can expand flexibility and reach for physicians. The evidence suggests that, when used appropriately, telemedicine can meaningfully extend physician capacity and maintain service continuity.2

Digital Locum Work

Digital locum work may include temporary virtual family medicine clinics, after-hours coverage, prescription renewal sessions, chronic disease follow-up, inbox management, specialist follow-up clinics, and triage support. Some roles are fully remote while others are hybrid, combining on-site work with virtual follow-up or scheduled telemedicine sessions.

Research on locum work consistently identifies role clarity and administrative organization as central to successful placements.3 This principle applies equally to digital roles.

Growing Interest in Digital Locum Work

Several forces are driving an increase in demand for digital healthcare; Following the COVID-19 pandemic, many patients now expect some virtual access where clinically appropriate.4 Additionally, physician workforce shortages and uneven geographic distribution continue across Canada, particularly in rural and underserved communities.

Canadian qualitative research on early-career family physicians found that autonomy, sustainability, and flexibility strongly influence career decisions.5 Telemedicine locum work can align with those preferences by allowing physicians to supplement income, reduce commuting, maintain work during life transitions, or scale practice volume more deliberately.

There is also evidence that virtual care can improve healthcare access when implemented thoughtfully. Systematic reviews have found that telehealth interventions can reduce geographic barriers and improve access to healthcare services, particularly for patients in rural and underserved communities.6

How LOCVM Can Support Remote Locum Work

Historically, physicians often found locum work through informal networks, recruiters, or repeated email chains. Platforms such as LOCVM improve this process by centralizing opportunities, standardizing credentials, and clarifying expectations in advance.

Used selectively and organized well through LOCVM, digital locum opportunities can expand physician flexibility while helping clinics maintain access during a period of persistent workforce strain.

References

• 1. Frank K, Bader D. Virtual care use in Canada: variation across sociodemographic and health-related factors. Health Rep. 2025;36(11). doi:10.25318/82-003-x202501100002-eng.
• 2. Green LV, Savin S, Greenberg G, Hines S, Lake D, Minear M, et al. The impact of telehealth on primary care physician panel sizes: a modeling study. J Am Board Fam Med. 2022;35(5):1007-1014. doi:10.3122/jabfm.2022.AP.210435
• 3. Ferreira N, McKenna O, Lamb IR, et al. Approaches to locum physician recruitment and retention: a systematic review. Human Resources for Health. 2024;22:24. doi:10.1186/s12960-024-00906-z.
• 4. Hensel JM, Lemoine J, Bolton S, Perera E, Arpin M, Sareen J, et al. When “virtual” works and when it doesn’t: a survey of physician and patient experiences with virtual care during the COVID-19 pandemic. Digit Health. 2024;10:20552076241258390. doi:10.1177/20552076241258390.
• 5. Grudniewicz A, Randall E, Lavergne MR, et al. Factors influencing practice choices of early-career family physicians in Canada: a qualitative interview study. Human Resources for Health. 2023;21:84. doi:10.1186/s12960-023-00867-9.
• 6. De Simone S, Franco M, Servillo G, Vargas M. Implementations and strategies of telehealth during COVID-19 outbreak: a systematic review. BMC Health Serv Res. 2022;22(1):833. doi:10.1186/s12913-022-08235-4.