General practitioner characteristics and video use in out-of-hours primary care: a register-based study

Background General practitioners (GPs) can use video when performing telephone triage in out-of-hours primary care (OOH-PC) in Denmark. Video use varies considerably among GPs; this variation could be related to GP characteristics.

Aim To investigate associations between GP characteristics and video use in OOH-PC telephone triage.

Design & setting A register-based study using data from the OOH-PC registration system from 1 January 2021 to 31 December 2021.

Method Binomial regression analysis was used to measure the associations between video contacts and triage GP characteristics, thereby calculating RRs and 95% confidence intervals (95%CI).

Results Video was used in 10.8% of telephone triage contacts to OOH-PC. Video use was significantly associated with GPs having more shifts in OOH-PC (range RR: 1.36-1.93, ref.: low number of shifts) and GPs being younger (range RR: 0.84-0.67, ref.: age<40). Central Denmark Region and Region of Southern Denmark had significant higher video user rates (range RR: 1.23-1.46) than North Denmark Region, whereas Region Zealand had significant lower rates (RR=0.57, 95% CI: 0.38-0.87). The association between video use and GP sex was modified by number of shifts in OOH-PC. Video use was positively correlated with male sex among GPs with low, medium, and high number of shifts (RR=1.18, 95% CI: 1.07-1.29) and negatively correlated with male sex among GPs with very high number of shifts (RR=0.75, 95% CI: 0.58-0.98).

Conclusion Video use was associated with the number of shifts in OOH-PC, GP sex and age, and geographical region.