General practitioners’ perceptions of using virtual primary care during the COVID-19 pandemic: An international cross-sectional survey study

Were, Martin C. and Li, Edmond and Tsopra, Rosy and Jimenez, Geronimo and Serafini, Alice and Gusso, Gustavo and Lingner, Heidrun and Fernandez, Maria Jose and Irving, Greg and Petek, Davorina and Hoffman, Robert and Lazic, Vanja and Memarian, Ensieh and Koskela, Tuomas and Collins, Claire and Espitia, Sandra Milena and Clavería, Ana and Nessler, Katarzyna and O’Neill, Braden Gregory and Hoedebecke, Kyle and Ungan, Mehmet and Laranjo, Liliana and Ghafur, Saira and Fontana, Gianluca and Majeed, Azeem and Car, Josip and Darzi, Ara and Neves, Ana Luisa (2022) General practitioners’ perceptions of using virtual primary care during the COVID-19 pandemic: An international cross-sectional survey study. PLOS Digital Health, 1 (5). e0000029. ISSN 2767-3170

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Abstract

With the onset of COVID-19, general practitioners (GPs) and patients worldwide swiftly transitioned from face-to-face to digital remote consultations. There is a need to evaluate how this global shift has impacted patient care, healthcare providers, patient and carer experience, and health systems. We explored GPs’ perspectives on the main benefits and challenges of using digital virtual care. GPs across 20 countries completed an online questionnaire between June–September 2020. GPs’ perceptions of main barriers and challenges were explored using free-text questions. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. A total of 1,605 respondents participated in our survey. The benefits identified included reducing COVID-19 transmission risks, guaranteeing access and continuity of care, improved efficiency, faster access to care, improved convenience and communication with patients, greater work flexibility for providers, and hastening the digital transformation of primary care and accompanying legal frameworks. Main challenges included patients’ preference for face-to-face consultations, digital exclusion, lack of physical examinations, clinical uncertainty, delays in diagnosis and treatment, overuse and misuse of digital virtual care, and unsuitability for certain types of consultations. Other challenges include the lack of formal guidance, higher workloads, remuneration issues, organisational culture, technical difficulties, implementation and financial issues, and regulatory weaknesses. At the frontline of care delivery, GPs can provide important insights on what worked well, why, and how during the pandemic. Lessons learned can be used to inform the adoption of improved virtual care solutions and support the long-term development of platforms that are more technologically robust and secure.

Item Type: Article
Subjects: ArticleGate > Medical Science
Depositing User: APLOS Lib
Date Deposited: 15 Jul 2022 04:49
Last Modified: 15 Jul 2022 04:49
URI: http://ebooks.pubstmlibrary.com/id/eprint/332

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