TY - JOUR T1 - Using the quadruple aim to understand the impact of virtual delivery of care within ontario community health centres: a qualitative study JF - BJGP Open JO - BJGP Open DO - 10.3399/BJGPO.2022.0031 SP - BJGPO.2022.0031 AU - Sara Bhatti AU - Simone Dahrouge AU - Laura Muldoon AU - Jennifer Rayner Y1 - 2022/09/15 UR - http://bjgpopen.org/content/early/2022/09/14/BJGPO.2022.0031.abstract N2 - Background The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and introduction of various restrictions resulted in drastic changes to “traditional” primary healthcare service delivery modalities.Aim To understand the impact of virtual care on healthcare system performance within the context of Ontario Community Health Centres.Design & setting Thematic analysis of qualitative interviews with thirty-six providers and thirty-one patients.Method Semi-structured phone interviews were conducted in the fall of 2020. Interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim and analyzed thematically using the quadruple aim framework.Results Virtual care had removed certain barriers to care. Patients and providers, found that phone visits impacted quality of care due to the inability to read body language and relying solely on patient descriptions. Video visits allowed for a similar experience to in-person visits but technical issues constrained this. Depending on the service provided, some providers felt they were not providing the same quality of care. Providers reported reductions in no-show rates and highlighted the efficiency of virtual appointments. Providers also found they were able to collaborate at a similar level prior to the pandemic and saw improvements in work-life balance. Overall, patients and providers alike preferred virtual visits with those known to them and for less-complex/transactional aspects of care.Conclusion Our study described positive and negative impacts on patient care, population health, health system costs and provider experience. These results will be useful for primary care organisations in post-pandemic planning, however future research is needed for a deeper exploration of the impact on quality of care specifically for more complex health concerns. ER -