Video consultations in general practice

Due to political ambitions for increased digital access to health care, video consultations will continue to be part of general practice after the corona pandemic.

From previous research, we know that video consultations can provide quick and convenient access to health care, especially in remote areas where patients can avoid long transportation times. For socially vulnerable patients, video consultations can alleviate anxiety related to doctor visits, while for others it can minimise the feeling of being ill when the patient is not physically attending the clinic for the consultation.

Organisational factors have shown to play a significant role for successful implementation of video consultations, requiring a planned and coordinated approach that involves staff training, and coordination of responsible staff members. The introduction of video consultations in general practice means that the working methods and routines are adapted to new practices created by new technologies. It is therefore important to investigate how adaptations to new working methods and technologies are made and how they impact the working life of healthcare professionals.

AIM

Research-based knowledge about the use of video consultations in general practice is important and crucial for both health care staff, patients and politicians to ensure high quality in future video consultations with general practitioners.

The aim of the project was to identify and understand the opportunities and challenges to achieving sustained adoption and long-term sustainability of video consultations in general practice.

The study was divided into three levels representing

1. the individual video consultation user (micro)
2. the organisational aspect (meso)
3. the national context and wider influences on the implementation of video consultions (macro).

RESULTS

The project was based on 30 semi-structured interviews with general practitioners, three interviews with practice staff and 132 hours of fieldwork carried out in seven clinics in Denmark in the period June 2021 and August 2022.

Overall, the project showed that the implementation and use of video consultations is an organisational change process, where the value of video consultations largely depends on a complex network of relationships and interactions. This can be, for example, existing values, opinions and the professional identity of general practitioners, as well as general practitioners' as well as the staff's perceptions of good care, work processes, time resources and financial incentives.

The PhD project emphasised that the implementation and use of video consultations is something that requires time and work on the part of the general practitioners and the staff. In addition, different practical conditions and priorities affect how video consultations are used, including the working conditions and job satisfaction of the general practitioners and staff.

PARTNERS

The project was a PhD project by Elle Lüchau.

The main supervisor was Elisabeth Assing Hvidt, Research Unit for General Practice, University of Southern Denmark.

Co-supervisors were Jens Søndergaard, Research Unit for General Practice, University of Southern Denmark, Finn Olesen, Aarhus University, and Helen Atherton, University of Warwick.

EXTERNAL FUNDING

The project was financed by Fonden for Almen Praksis (the Foundation for General Practitioners) and Sygeforsikring Danmark (Health Insurance Denmark).