Research

Patients’ and physicians’ experiences with remote consultations in primary care during the COVID-19 pandemic: a multi-method rapid review of the literature

Pradipti Verma and Robert Kerrison
BJGP Open 2022; 6 (2): BJGPO.2021.0192. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3399/BJGPO.2021.0192

Article Figures & Data

Figures

Tables

  • Table 1. Results of successively expanding the search string until the time newly identified articles potentially eligible (on abstract review) was around 1% of the total number of articles found by the search
    Search stringsPublications(duplicate removed), n Publications selectedby two reviewerson title review, nNew publications selectedby two reviewerson abstract review, nPublications eligible, %
    PubMed
    Search 1: ((Patients OR Primary Care OR General Practice) AND (COVID OR COVID-19 OR Coronavirus OR SARS-COV-2 OR Pandemic) AND (Video Consult* OR Telephone consult* OR Online Consult*) AND (Barriers OR Facilitators OR Attitudes) AND (Mixed Methods OR Qualitative OR quantitative OR Survey OR Questionnaire OR Interview* OR Focus group* OR Multi Methods))112532522.3%
    Search 2: ((Patients OR Primary Care OR General Practice OR Family clinician) AND (COVID-19 OR COVID OR Coronavirus OR SARS-COV-2 OR Pandemic) AND (Video Consult* OR Telephone consult* OR Online Consult* OR Telehealth OR Telemedical OR Telecare OR Telemedicine) AND (Barriers OR Facilitators OR Attitudes OR Challenges) AND (Quantitative OR Qualitative OR Mixed Methods OR Survey OR Questionnaire OR Interview* OR Focus group* OR Multi Methods))599150427.0%
    Search 3: ((Patients OR Primary Care OR General Practice OR Family clinician OR Family Physician*) AND (COVID-19 OR COVID OR Coronavirus OR SARS-COV-2 OR Pandemic) AND (Video Consult* OR Telephone consult* OR Online Consult*OR Telehealth OR Telemedical OR Telecare OR Telemedicine OR Digital Health OR "mHealth" OR Connected Care) AND (Barriers OR Facilitators OR Attitudes OR Challenges OR Factors) AND (Quantitative OR Qualitative OR Mixed Methods OR Survey OR Questionnaire OR Interview* OR Focus group* OR Multi Methods))879213212.4%
    Search 4: ((Patients OR Primary Care OR General Practice OR Family clinician OR Family Physician* OR General Practitioner) AND (COVID-19 OR COVID OR Coronavirus OR SARS-COV-2 OR Pandemic) AND (Video Consult* OR Telephone consult* OR Online Consult*OR Telehealth OR Telemedical OR Telecare OR Telemedicine OR Digital Health OR "mHealth" OR Connected Care OR Virtual clinic OR Virtual Medicine OR Video visit) AND (Barriers OR Facilitators OR Attitudes OR Challenges OR Factors OR Perceptions) AND (Quantitative OR Qualitative OR Mixed Methods OR Survey OR Questionnaire OR Interview* OR Focus group* OR Multi Methods))1058236121.1%
    PsyInfo
    Search 4: ((Patients OR Primary Care OR General Practice OR Family clinician OR Family Physician* OR General Practitioner) AND (COVID-19 OR COVID OR Coronavirus OR SARS-COV-2 OR Pandemic) AND (Video Consult* OR Telephone consult* OR Online Consult*OR Telehealth OR Telemedical OR Telecare OR Telemedicine OR Digital Health OR "mHealth" OR Connected Care OR Virtual clinic OR Virtual Medicine OR Video visit) AND (Barriers OR Facilitators OR Attitudes OR Challenges OR Factors OR Perceptions) AND (Quantitative OR Qualitative OR Mixed Methods OR Survey OR Questionnaire OR Interview* OR Focus group* OR Multi Methods))106123700.0%
  • Table 2. Summary of characteristics of articles included in the review
    Design featureStudies, n (%)
    Setting
    US6 (25%)13–18
    Australia4 (17%)27,28,35,36
    UK4 (17%)21,22,24,25
    Belgium2 (8%)19,20
    Germany1 (4%)23
    Iran1 (4%)30
    Italy1 (4%)26
    New Zealand1 (4%)34
    Norway1 (4%)29
    Oman1 (4%)32
    Romania1 (4%)31
    Not specified1 (4%)33
    Population
    PCPs16 (67%)13,15,17,19,20,22–29,31–33
    Patients5 (20%)16,21,30,34,36
    PCPs and patients3 (13%)14,18,35
    Sample size
    10–203 (13%)13,15,20
    21–1007 (29%)14,21–35,32,35
    101–5007 (29%)19,25,26,28,30,31,33
    >5007 (29%)16–27,29,34,36,36
    Study design
    Quantitative12 (50%)14–18,25–31
    Qualitative8 (33%)13,19–32,35,32,35
    Mixed-methods2 (8%)33,34
    Multi-method2 (8%)23,36

    • PCP = primary care physician.

  • Table 3. Quantification of advantages and issues
    Advantages and issuesArticles (telephoneconsultations), nArticles (videoconsultations), nArticles (both video andtelephone consultations), nTotal articles, n
    Advantages
    Advantages (PCPs)
    Reimbursement for previously ‘free’ services1–4515,17,18,25,27
    Remote consultations enable better monitoring of cases3–1413,20,22,31
    Increased appointment adherence1–1213,24
    Increased involvement by family members and insights into patient’s home environment––1113
    Patients feel empowered to discuss more personal issues via remote consultation1––113
    Advantages (patients and PCPs)
    Convenience92–1113,16,18,21–25,31,33–35–35
    Reduced risk of COVID-193––319,32,35
    Issues
    Issues (PCPs)
    Difficulty in making clinical decisions31419,20,29,31
    Lack of motivation or support––3318,22,25
    Changes to consultation type2––219,28
    Issues (patients)
    Concerns about privacy3–1416,30,33,34
    Monetary concerns3––316,34,35
    Physician missing appointments1––121
    Issues (patients and PCPs)
    Lack of confidence in, and access to, the technical skills or technology required for remote consultations8161513,15–22,24,25,31–36,31–36
    Loss of non-verbal communication and patient–physician rapport621913,19,21,22,25,31,33–35
    Loss of physical and visual assessment of symptoms521813,19,21,22,25,29,33,34
    Face-to-face required for complex issues63–913,16–21,22,29,32,33,33
    Communication barrier owing to language or hearing difficulties4–1513,17,25,32,34
    Insufficient consultation time111313,16,33
    Advantages/issues
    Advantages/issues (PCPs)
    Attitudes towards future use of remote consultation312613,18,22,25,29,31
    Workload increased or decreased51–613,19,20,22,32,33
    Advantages/issues (patients)
    Changes in difficulty booking appointments and waiting times3––325,34,35
    Advantages/issues (patients and PCPs)
    Satisfaction level with remote consultation521814,16,18,21,29–33,33
    Consultation preferences–32516,18,25,29,33

    • PCP = primary care physician.

Supplementary Data

  • BJGPO.2021.0192_Supp.pdf -

    Supplementary material is not copyedited or typeset, and is published as supplied by the author(s). The author(s) retain(s) responsibility for its accuracy.
Back to top

In this issue

BJGP Open
Vol. 6, Issue 2
June 2022
Download PDF
Download PowerPoint
Email Article
Citation Tools
Patients’ and physicians’ experiences with remote consultations in primary care during the COVID-19 pandemic: a multi-method rapid review of the literature
Pradipti Verma, Robert Kerrison
BJGP Open 2022; 6 (2): BJGPO.2021.0192. DOI: 10.3399/BJGPO.2021.0192
del.icio.us logo Facebook logo Mendeley logo Bluesky logo

Jump to section

Keywords

Intended for Healthcare Professionals
 
 

British Journal of General Practice