Emergency Department Peer-to-Peer Program
The Emergency Department (ED) Peer-to-Peer Program provides support for ED physicians and ED nurse practitioners looking to consult a colleague in Ontario. Service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
The program provides ED support for all patient acuity, ages, and demographics (including noncritical scenarios) through real-time phone calls and videoconferencing. The program is the ideal support for hospital EDs with single-provider coverage.
The ED Peer-to-Peer Program was launched in October 2022 to support physicians in rural and remote EDs. The program expanded in June 2023 to all ED physicians across the province and then expanded in early 2025 to all ED nurse practitioners.
The aim of the program is to support and maintain quality patient care closer to home.
How to Consult a Colleague
- Contact CritiCall Ontario at: 1-800-668-4357 (HELP)
- Provide the name of your hospital
- Ask for an ED peer
- Patient demographics are not required
- You will be connected to a peer immediately
When to Call
Call anytime – before a patient’s arrival, during the ED assessment, after the patient has been discharged to debrief a case or in advance of a new-to-practice ED clinician’s first shift. Peers are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Program Values
- Person-centred: Putting the patient first
- Relationship-centred: Built on a framework of trust and peer relationships to support high-quality care
- Culturally safe: Informed, respectful and equitable care
- Compassion, humility and empathy: Working together without judgment
- Clinical excellence: Access to up-to-date, excellent and collaborative care for all Ontarians
Meet the Peers
ED peer physicians are highly qualified physicians who are on duty for the full duration of their shift with the ED Peer-to-Peer Program to support with:
- patient care
- general inquiries
- educational materials
- clinical skills
- emerging treatments
- medications
- debrief on patient cases
ED peer physicians do not replace an ED physician on duty at a hospital.
Contact Us
For more information about the ED Peer-to-Peer Program, please send us an email using our contact form.
If you are a physician or nurse practitioner in an Ontario ED and would like to access the ED Peer-to-Peer Program, please call 1-800-668-4357(HELP) to directly connect with an ED peer via CritiCall.
Last Updated: November 05, 2025