Health811 – Connecting To Care Made Easy
Dr. Sacha Bhatia, Senior Vice President, Population Health and Value Based Health Systems, Ontario Health
Knowing where to turn for health information can be confusing. To support Ontarians in their journey to access the right care at the right time, Health811 is here to help.
Previously known as Health Connect Ontario, which replaced Telehealth Ontario, Health811 is a free, secure and confidential service Ontarians can call or access online 24 hours a day, seven days a week to receive health advice from qualified health professionals, such as registered nurses, locate local health services and find trusted health information.
Health811 features one website: Ontario.ca/Health811 (also available in French: Ontario.ca/Sante811) and one number to call: 811 (TTY: 1-866-797-0007).
Health811 features:
24/7 access to live support via telephone or online chat.
The telephone service is available in over 200 languages, including Indigenous languages such as Cree, Ojibwe and Inuktitut.
Free access to health professionals, such as registered nurses, registered dieticians, lactation consultants and smoking cessation coaches.
Provides support for those searching for information about mental health and addictions.
An online health services directory that enables Ontarians to find health services and health care providers by keyword, location or postal code.
An artificial intelligence-powered symptom assessment tool that guides users through a series of questions to suggest possible reasons for their symptoms and provides care options, as well as a downloadable symptom report.
An online medical library that consists of curated content created by experienced doctors and medical safety experts. Ontarians can also call Health811 to receive a free FIT for colorectal cancer screening, get assistance finding a family physician or nurse practitioner accepting new patients, connect to the Refugee HealthLine and more.
Health811 is for non-urgent health questions and concerns only and is not a substitution for 911, which should still be used for a medical emergency. This service is also not a replacement for regular touch points with health care providers.
Any references to Health Connect Ontario, such as website links, will be automatically redirected to Health811 to ensure continuity of service.
