Outdated care not serving needs of women, study finds

TORONTO – A new report from Maple, Canada’s leading virtual care platform, reveals that 54 percent of Canadian women say the health system does not meet their needs, highlighting how outdated models of care are failing to support the way they seek care today.

Based on a national survey of 1,505 Canadian women conducted by Maple among members of the Angus Reid Forum, Closing the care gap: the state of women’s health care in Canada reveals a system under sustained pressure and its impact on more than half our population.

Long wait times, delayed diagnoses and the dismissal of women’s concerns aren’t isolated issues; they’re embedded in how care is accessed. Designed for a different era, Canada’s health system has fallen out of step with today’s challenges in access, continuity and responsiveness.

“Through our latest report, we’re seeing the consequences on women of a system that isn’t built for the realities of how people live today,” said Dr. Brett Belchetz (pictured), CEO and co-founder of Maple.

“Delays, misdiagnoses and the inability to access timely care – these aren’t edge cases. They point to structural gaps that can’t be solved with small incremental changes. The care model itself has to evolve.”

Key findings from the report include:

• 62 percent of women have delayed or skipped care due to long wait times.
• 76 percent believe the system is not designed with their needs in mind.
• 74 percent feel their health concerns are not taken seriously.
• 43 percent have experienced delays in receiving appropriate treatment.
• 35 percent report misdiagnoses or delayed diagnoses.

These numbers reflect pressure points that cause ripple effects across families, workplaces and the economy. This is particularly true for those in the sandwich generation, supporting both aging parents and children, who face compounded barriers in a system not structured to provide timely care.

In fact, 93 percent of sandwich generation caregivers report that their dual responsibilities have negatively impacted their own health2. Thirty-one percent say caregiving has led them to delay seeking care for themselves, highlighting a critical gap in a system that fails to reflect today’s realities.

At the same time, there is growing openness to change. Thirty-one percent of women surveyed have already accessed virtual care, and more than half of those who haven’t say they would be willing to.

Tools such as virtual consultations, remote monitoring and proactive care models are already improving access – enabling faster, more continuous engagement across the health system. Many now rely on workplace benefits to fill the gap, making employers an increasingly vital point of access.

“We won’t fix women’s health care by working around the edges,” said Dr. Belchetz. “We need a system that starts earlier, moves faster and delivers care with empathy, agency and trust. That’s what we’re building here at Maple.”

Closing the care gap: the state of women’s health care in Canada builds on Maple’s 2024 report, Health on hold: the state of proactive care in Canada, which found that 81 percent of Canadians face barriers to accessing early and proactive care. Maple’s platform was designed for this, reducing friction, expanding access and helping modernize care for the realities of today.

Access the full report, Closing the care gap: the state of women’s health care in Canada, here: https://www.getmaple.ca/resources/womens-health-report/