Patient Satisfaction With Remote Consultations in a Primary Care Setting

Abstract

In recent years, the use of remote consultations has increased considerably. Many patient encounters in general practice are now conducted by phone or computer as opposed to traditional face-to-face appointments. The aim of this study was to measure patient satisfaction with remote consultations in a primary care setting. AimsTo assess patient satisfaction with telephone consultations in a general practice setting and explore patient's experiences and attitudes toward remote consultations in general practice to formulate recommendations for potential telehealth improvements. MethodsA total of 407 patients who had undergone primary care telephone consultations within the previous week were invited to provide feedback. Patient satisfaction was measured by a four-step questionnaire on patient experience, which was quantified on a Likert agreement scale, and the additional option of a comment section at the end of each questionnaire. The responses in the comment section were analysed according to the frequency of recurrent themes. ResultsThe responses of 104 patients were included in the final analysis, and 44 patients used the comment section to provide additional information about their experience. Overall, the satisfaction with remote consultations was high while the rate of technical failure and the need for in-person follow-up were both low: 60 patients (58%) either agreed or strongly agreed that remote consultations are a convenient way of receiving health care and 26 patients (25%) would prefer to have remote consultations over face-to-face ones in the future while 42 patients (40%) would prefer face-to-face consultations in the future. Ninety-six (96) patients (92%) reported no technical problems affecting the consultation quality. Of all 104 face-to-face appointments, only 36 patients (35%) required in-person follow-up. Analyses of the comment section largely reflect the above findings but also highlight concerns from patients that remote consultations can generate additional anxiety, and symptoms might not be communicated effectively or even missed completely. DiscussionThe high satisfaction levels, low rates of technical failure and low need for a face-to-face follow-up show that in a primary care setting, remote consultations are an effective complement to face-to-face appointments. Nonetheless, the requirement for face-to-face contact goes beyond the need for physical examination alone, with many patients preferring face-to-face contact when discussing complex and sensitive health-related topics and symptoms.

Change in treatment burden among people with multimorbidity: a follow-up survey

“… 25 COVID-19 pandemic factors such as lack of continuity of care, inadequate information, and difficulty accessing health care may also have contributed to this overall increase. 25 – 30 The finding in the current study of a positive association between travel time to GP and an increase in treatment burden is consistent with findings from qualitative studies on the time burden associated with travel to health care. 31 , 32 This association was moderated by health literacy, in line with studies suggesting health literacy may be protective against experiencing high treatment burden.…”

“…[24] For some, the lack of social support or reduced contact with a health professional may have increased treatment burden. [25][26][27][28][29][30] Surveys were mailed out at a point of minimal COVID restrictions to try and minimise these effects. Secondly, although exceeding the minimum target sample size, the study may have been underpowered to assess some associations with treatment burden category change and the clinical significance of a single point change in MTBQ global score has not been well established.…”

Remote consultations in general practice – A systematic review

“…We found that in all studies remote consultations were found to improve the quality of patient care ( 24 ), the effects on patients were strongly positive ( 26 ) and thus it can be an effective replacement for physical consultations or home visits ( 25 ). Patients also agree that they are an effective complement to physical consultation, and believed that this approach improves the quality of care.…”

“…This technology has enabled care for patients from a safe distance, and has created an opportunity to organize work in GPs’ offices differently ( 7 ). The studies used a variety of telehealth tools, such as consultation by mail ( 15 , 19 , 20 , 21 ), by telephone ( 17 ), by video call ( 18 ) or various combinations of these ( 16 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 ). We established in our review that teleconsultations can reduce the number of visits ( 21 ).…”

Patient and clinician experiences of remote consultation during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic: A service evaluation

“…Patients share these concerns, feeling greater anxiety and worrying about whether they can effectively convey their symptoms to the clinician. 29 Our evaluation reflects these concerns specifically in terms of clinician fears about patients ‘getting lost in the system’, security, privacy and safeguarding whilst patients voiced concerns about missed diagnoses and finding the language to communicate their symptoms.…”