PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - White, Sarah J AU - Nguyen, Amy AU - Roger, Peter AU - Tse, Tim AU - Cartmill, John A AU - Willcock, Simon Mark TI - Experiences of telehealth in general practice in Australia: research protocol for a mixed-methods study AID - 10.3399/BJGPO.2021.0187 DP - 2022 Mar 01 TA - BJGP Open PG - BJGPO.2021.0187 VI - 6 IP - 1 4099 - http://bjgpopen.org/content/6/1/BJGPO.2021.0187.short 4100 - http://bjgpopen.org/content/6/1/BJGPO.2021.0187.full SO - BJGP Open2022 Mar 01; 6 AB - Background Owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, the use of telehealth has expanded rapidly. However, little is known about the impact of delivering care through telehealth on communication between clinicians and patients. At an interactional level, the ways in which clinicians establish rapport and connection with their patients in telehealth consultations is not well understood.Aim This study will explore interactional practices of GPs and patients in telehealth consultations to develop evidence-based resources to improve communication.Design & setting The study will be conducted within the Australian general practice setting.Method Conversation analysis and sociolinguistic discourse analysis of recorded telehealth consultations will provide direct evidence of specific elements contributing to successful and less successful instances of telehealth communication. This analysis will be complemented by co-design techniques such as qualitative and reflective interviews, and collaborative workshops with telehealth users including both GPs and patients.Conclusion Effective communication is critical for telehealth consultations and is central to achieving optimal clinical outcomes and patient satisfaction. Evidence-based guidelines encompassing effective telehealth communication strategies will be co-developed with end-users in this study.