The verdict in three sentences
A clinic network in Toronto has two under-served audiences: patients across Ontario who cannot easily travel to its sites, and diaspora families in the Greater Toronto Area who already pay for care for relatives back home or want private services not covered by OHIP. A custom telemedicine platform with low-bandwidth video, e-prescriptions and card payment costs, as a 2026 ballpark, CAD 80,000 to 180,000 over 4 to 6 months. It must be designed around PHIPA, Ontario's health privacy law, from day one.
Two audiences, two needs
The medical director of a four-clinic network in Scarborough, Brampton, Mississauga and North York sees two patterns. Ontario patients covered by OHIP want follow-ups and result reviews without a long drive. Diaspora families, for example from Nigeria, Ghana, the Caribbean or francophone Africa, want something else: private consultations, second opinions on files from abroad, or remote care coordination for an elderly parent, paid by card.
| Criterion | Ontario OHIP patient | Diaspora or private payer |
|---|---|---|
| Device | Smartphone or tablet | Smartphone or laptop |
| Connection | Broadband, weaker in rural Ontario | Broadband, sometimes abroad |
| Payment | OHIP billing for insured services | Card, sometimes third-party payer |
| Price per visit | Billed to OHIP | CAD 60 to 150 privately |
| Main expectation | Avoid travel and wait times | Reliable follow-up and written report |
| Reminder channel | SMS, email | Email, WhatsApp |
Scope and cost
A useful platform rests on six modules. Booking by specialty and clinic, with dedicated virtual slots. Low-bandwidth video: adaptive resolution, automatic fall-back to audio and to a phone call if the link drops, which matters for patients in northern Ontario or abroad. A shared patient record across the four clinics, integrated with your EMR (Accuro, OSCAR Pro or TELUS PS Suite). E-prescriptions through PrescribeIT where possible. Payments for private services with third-party payer support. And a medical back office for scheduling and activity tracking.
| Module | 2026 ballpark (CAD) | Timeline |
|---|---|---|
| Clinical discovery, journeys, mock-ups | 8,000 to 15,000 | 3 to 4 weeks |
| Multi-clinic booking | 10,000 to 22,000 | 3 to 4 weeks |
| Low-bandwidth video and audio fall-back | 15,000 to 35,000 | 4 to 6 weeks |
| EMR integration and security | 20,000 to 45,000 | 5 to 6 weeks |
| E-prescription and documents | 8,000 to 20,000 | 2 to 3 weeks |
| Card payments and third-party payer | 10,000 to 25,000 | 3 weeks |
| Back office and dashboard | 9,000 to 18,000 | 2 to 3 weeks |
| Total | 80,000 to 180,000 | 4 to 6 months |
Compliance is not optional. Under PHIPA, your clinics are health information custodians: you need consent management, encryption in transit and at rest, access logs, breach notification procedures and a privacy impact assessment. Hosting in Canada is the norm. If you treat patients located outside Ontario, check the licensing rules of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario and of the patient's jurisdiction.
For maintenance, Kolonell offers three plans: 35,000, 75,000 or 120,000 FCFA per month (EUR 53, 114 or 183). Health data hosting and further changes are quoted on request.
Organising the medical offer
Technology does not replace organisation. You need protected virtual slots every day, for example 2 hours per family physician, a clear list of suitable reasons (chronic disease follow-up, result reviews, renewals) and a rule to redirect patients in person when a physical exam is needed, typically 15 to 25% of cases.
Mini case study
Dr. Grace Owusu, medical director of the network, launches the platform for CAD 130,000. After six months, it handles 1,500 virtual visits a month: 1,200 OHIP-billed at an average of CAD 40 and 300 private consultations at CAD 110.
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Calculation: 1,200 × 40 + 300 × 110 = CAD 81,000 of monthly revenue. After physician compensation (60%), payment fees and maintenance, the network keeps about CAD 28,000 a month. Payback in roughly 5 months at cruising pace, before counting in-person tests and procedures generated by referrals.
FAQ
Does video work for patients in rural Ontario or abroad?
Yes, if it is built for it: adaptive video, audio fall-back below 100 kbit/s and an automatic phone call-back. An audio visit uses about 10 to 15 MB for 15 minutes.
Can a relative pay for a parent's consultation?
Yes, through a third-party payer mode: the relative books and pays by card, the patient gets the link by SMS. The report is shared only with the patient's consent, as PHIPA requires.
Can we see patients located outside Ontario?
It depends on licensing rules in the patient's location. Many networks limit virtual care to Ontario residents and offer second opinions on records only, which carries less regulatory risk.
What does PHIPA compliance involve in practice?
Consent capture, encryption, access logging, a privacy officer and a breach response plan. Allow 3 to 5 weeks for the privacy impact assessment before launch.
How many physicians do we need at launch?
Four to six physicians with 2 hours a day each cover 1,000 to 1,500 visits a month. Specialists can be added as demand grows.
Let's scope your project. Tell us about your clinics, specialties and target patients, and we will define a PHIPA-ready platform deliverable in four to six months. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
