Online and telephone access to general practice: a cross-sectional patient survey

Background Improving access to primary health care in the UK has focused on the use of telephone and online access, but little is known about how awareness of and use varies between different patient groups.

Aim To determine how patients are interacting with telephone and online channels for accessing general practice services and information, and to analyse how this varies according to patient characteristics and health status.

Design & setting A cross-sectional self-administered survey of adult patients in general practices across the West Midlands, UK.

Method Descriptive statistics were used to show participants’ awareness of and interaction with online information sources and remote access. Multivariable logistic regression was used to model the relationships between demographic and health characteristics, and awareness and use of online services and alternatives to face-to-face consultations (for example, telephone).

Results A total of 2789 patients (19.0% response rate) from 43 general practices participated. The study found 60.8% (n = 1651/2715) of participants were aware of online services and 30.3% (n = 811/2674) reported having used one. Daily internet usage and frequently visiting the GP showed the strongest associations with knowledge and use of online services.

Conclusion The study shows that there is the potential for inequitable awareness and use of telephone and online services in general practice populations. Given that their use has greatly increased owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, future service design will need to ensure equity is taken into account.