Heart failure treatment, diagnosis & prescriptions

Maple is a virtual care platform that connects you with doctors and other healthcare providers via text, audio, or video. After you log in to your Maple account, you can request an online consultation.

Consultations work similarly to in-person appointments — the doctor can complete an assessment by asking questions about your symptoms, going through your health history, and determining what treatment is right for you. If they think your condition is more serious, they may tell you to go to a clinic for an in-person examination.

As a Maple member, you get 24/7 access to virtual primary care online and more. You can connect with our network of providers via text, audio, or video call within minutes.

Our membership costs $79.99/month and covers virtual care for patients and their families, including the primary account holder's spouse and any dependents.

For patients in eligible provinces, our membership includes:

• Access to daily primary care provider visits: One daily visit with a primary care provider for each family member in their household.
• Paediatric care: Covered paediatric primary care visits, available by appointment.
• Second medical opinions: access to a network of experts for a second opinion if diagnosed with a complex condition (e.g. cancer).
• Personal Health Check-Ins: A series of personalized, evidence-based proactive care screenings to maintain and improve health.
• iCBT courses: Access to iCBT (internet-based cognitive behavioural therapy) self-assessment and courses.
• Access to specialists in eligible provinces: Easy access to specialists on Maple within days, not months. No referral is needed.
• Specialist referrals in eligible provinces: Ability to be referred to a physician specialist for in-person care, if needed.
• Credit discounts: An $80 credit per month to be applied to a Maple specialist visit.

Please note that our membership cannot be combined with other offerings, such as private insurance coverage and provincial programs, where available. In some cases, membership fees can be covered by a Healthcare Spending Account (HSA) — check with your HSA provider for more details.

We accept all major credit cards, including AMEX cards, as well as Google and Apple Pay.

At Maple, we proudly prioritize privacy as a cornerstone of our virtual care services. We strictly adhere to privacy and healthcare legislation in Canada, such as PIPEDA and PHIPA regulations, to ensure patients' personal and health information remains completely private and safeguarded.

Our policies and consent processes are designed to be simple and easily understood, empowering individuals with control and a clear understanding of their healthcare journey. When using our services, a patient’s session is protected by a comprehensive security infrastructure and stringent data policies.

Patients also retain full control of their personal health information, medical records and test results at all times. Our approach is reinforced by consultations with leading experts, guaranteeing comprehensive policy frameworks that are reviewed at a regular cadence.

All providers delivering healthcare through Maple are licensed in Canada and governed by their licensing regulatory colleges, and in all instances, must act in accordance with the governing principles set out in the telemedicine policies of each medical regulator in the applicable province.

Regulators across Canada support and recognize the value of services like ours, and the way in which they can benefit patients, physicians, and Canada’s broader healthcare system by improving access to care and increasing efficiencies in the delivery of care.

A physical exam should be performed in person by a doctor at a clinic. That being said, doctors on Maple can renew a prescription as part of treatments for heart failure.

Yes. Our physicians can renew heart failure medications online during your consultation. Once you accept a prescription, you’ll have the option to pick it up from any pharmacy or to have it delivered to your door at no additional cost.

You can visit our How it works page to learn more.

Heart failure, also sometimes referred to as congestive heart failure, is a form of heart disease that occurs when the heart stops pumping blood as well as it should.

Untreated underlying conditions are typically the cause of congestive heart failure and result in one of the two types of heart failure: acute or chronic.

The most common symptoms of heart failure include:

• Weakness or fatigue
• Irregular or rapid heartbeat
• Cough caused by heart failure allowing fluid to back up into the lungs
• Pink or white blood-tinged phlegm
• Nausea
• Lack of appetite
• Rapid weight gain caused by fluid retention
• Increased overnight urination
• Shortness of breath
• Swelling in feet, ankles, or legs
• Swelling of the abdomen
• Chest pain caused by a heart attack
• Decreased alertness
• Difficulty concentrating
• Inability to exercise

These are common signs of heart failure. You should talk to a doctor about them as soon as possible.

Typically, causes for heart failure stem from underlying conditions that aren’t being treated. These conditions leave the heart weakened and too stiff to pump properly.

Cardiomyopathy, also known as damage of the heart muscle, is caused by different diseases, infections, chemicals related to chemotherapy, or abuse of drugs or alcohol.

Congestive heart failure is just another name for heart failure.

These are two names for the same condition, so there’s no difference between heart failure and congestive heart failure.

Both heart attacks and heart failure are forms of heart disease. However, heart attacks occur acutely, while congestive heart failure is usually present for a long period of time. The pathology can also be completely different.

A heart attack can be a cause of heart failure, particularly in the later stages (C and D). While they aren’t the same thing, they are sometimes closely related.

Diagnosis criteria for heart failure can change on a patient by patient basis.

The doctor will start by doing a physical examination, taking a careful look at your medical history, and discussing your current and past symptoms.

Whether or not heart failure is curable depends on if the underlying condition causing congestive heart failure can be cured.

In many cases, these conditions can’t be cured, but they can be treated to minimize negative symptoms and help the person experiencing congestive heart failure to live longer.

Because heart failure is often a lifelong ailment, it usually requires long-term treatment.

Sometimes, the doctor will be able to correct congestive heart failure by treating the underlying cause (i.e. replacing a heart valve, controlling an irregular rhythm, etc.).

However, if the underlying cause can’t be corrected, several medications may be prescribed, such as:

• Inotropes
• Diuretics
• Beta-blockers
• Aldosterone antagonists
• Digoxin
• Angiotensin II receptor blockers
• Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors