Current experience and future potential of facilitating access to digital NHS primary care services in England: the Di-Facto mixed-methods study.

Background: Current National Health Service policy in England encourages enhanced digital access in primary care service provision. In this study, we investigate 'digital facilitation' - that range of processes, procedures and personnel which seeks to support National Health Service primary care patients in their uptake and use of online services. Objectives: Identify, characterise and explore the potential benefits and challenges associated with different models of digital facilitation currently in use in general practice which are aimed at improving patient access to online services in general practice in England. Use the resulting intelligence to design a framework for future evaluations of the effectiveness and cost effectiveness of such interventions. Explore how patients with mental health conditions experience digital facilitation and gauge their need for this support. Design: Observational mixed-methods study (literature review, surveys, ethnographic observation and interviews); formal synthesis of findings. Setting: General practice in four regions of England. Participants: Practice survey: 156 staff. Patient survey: 3051 patients. Mental health survey: 756 patients. General practitioner patient survey: 3 million responders. Ethnographic case-studies: 8 practices; interviews with 36 staff, 33 patients and 10 patients with a mental health condition. Stakeholder interviews: 19 participants. Intervention: Digital facilitation as undertaken in general practice. Main outcome measures: Patient and practice staff reported use of, and views of, digital facilitation. Data sources: Surveys, qualitative research; national General Practitioner Patient Survey (2019-22). Review methods: Scoping-review methodology applied to academic and grey literature published 2015-20. Results: While we did find examples of digital facilitation in routine practice, these often involved using passive or reactive modes of support. The context of COVID, and the necessary acceleration (at that time) of the move to a digital-first model of primary care, shaped the way digital facilitation was delivered. There was lack of clarity over where the responsibility for facilitation efforts lay; it was viewed as the responsibility of 'others'. Patients living with mental health conditions had similar needs and experiences regarding digital facilitation to other patients. Limitations: The context of the COVID pandemic placed limitations on the project. Fewer practices responded to the practice survey than anticipated; reconfiguration of general practices to support COVID measures was a key consideration during non-participant observation with social distancing and other measures still in place during fieldwork. Conclusions: Digital facilitation, while not a widely recognised concept, is important in supporting the move to a National Health Service with enhanced digital opportunities and enhanced digital access. General practice staff are allocating resources to provide such efforts in general practices in England. The establishment of clear lines of responsibility, the development of digital tools and platforms that work for patients and practice staff, and investment in staff time and training are needed if digital facilitation is to support the intended digital revolution. Future work: We did not find one single dominant or preferred model of digital facilitation which might reasonably be considered to form the basis of an intervention to be tested. Rather, there is a need to co-develop such an intervention with patients, general practice staff and relevant policy experts. We outline a framework for a future evaluation of such an intervention. Study registration: This study is registered as ResearchRegistry6523 (www.researchregistry.com/browse-the-registry#home/?view_2_search=Di-Facto&view_2_page=1) and PROSPERO CRD42020189019 (www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=189019). Funding: This award was funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Health and Social Care Delivery Research programme (NIHR award ref: NIHR128268) and is published in full in Health and Social Care Delivery Research; Vol. 12, No. 32. See the NIHR Funding and Awards website for further award information.

Online services are common in the National Health Service. This research looked at 'digital facilitation' in general practices. Digital facilitation is about supporting National Health Service patients in their use of online services. We aimed to understand how much digital facilitation is being used by general practices. We also looked at how digital facilitation happens and if it affects the number of people using online services. We looked at previous research to help us understand what approaches have been used to support patients to use online services. We used surveys to ask staff at general practices what they were already doing, and to ask patients about their experiences. We observed digital facilitation in general practices and spoke to patients and staff to help us understand the benefits and challenges of different approaches. We combined findings from the three stages outlined above to identify key aspects of digital facilitation. All stages of our research included discussions with the project's patient advisory group. We found that digital facilitation is seen as important and has many forms. Most general practices are using passive and reactive types of facilitation. An example of passive facilitation, initiated by the service but not involving direct inter-personal interaction, is the use of text messaging relating to ordering of repeat prescriptions online. An example of reactive facilitation is providing a response to a patient-initiated query regarding online access. There is clear scope to develop a more proactive approach to facilitation that actively engages patients. Our research highlights a lack of clarity over who is responsible for digital facilitation. Different people (patients, staff, policy-makers) often think that the responsibility lies with others. Investment in digital facilitation is needed. Tools and platforms for digital facilitation that meet patients' and general practices' needs should be developed.

Responding to Domestic Violence and Abuse during COVID-19 through Remote Interventions: An Evaluation of the Identification and Referral to Improve Safety (IRIS) Service.

Aim: To explore the perspectives of patients/service users receiving specialist domestic violence and abuse (DVA) support from the Identification and Referral to Improve Safety (IRIS) service during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Design: A qualitative approach was used to conduct this study. Methods: Thematic analysis of data collected via in-depth individual interviews with 11 patients/service users who received DVA support following their disclosure of abuse to a health-care professional in general practice (GP) and subsequent referral to the IRIS service. Findings: Six themes were identified-experience of DVA during COVID-19; awareness of the IRIS service; pathway to care; accessibility, safety, and remote consultations; adequacy of telephone support; and impact of IRIS support. Participants reported feeling supported by the GP team and the DVA specialists from the IRIS service. Conclusion: The pandemic had a significant impact on health care and specialist DVA service providers. The swift shift to remote consultations proved to be an effective way to identify DVA, determine the support needs of those experiencing DVA from their own perspective, and make appropriate referrals for specialist support. Further research is needed to understand the views of health-care professionals and those working in the IRIS service to explore factors affecting their ability to provide remote services. The study highlighted the need for health-care professionals other than doctors (including nurses, midwives, and others) to build knowledge, confidence, and competence in asking about DVA.

Triage Accuracy and the Safety of User-Initiated Symptom Assessment With an Electronic Symptom Checker in a Real-Life Setting: Instrument Validation Study.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have evaluated the accuracy of the diagnostics of electronic symptom checkers (ESCs) and triage using clinical case vignettes. National Omaolo digital services (Omaolo) in Finland consist of an ESC for various symptoms. Omaolo is a medical device with a Conformité Européenne marking (risk class: IIa), based on Duodecim Clinical Decision Support, EBMEDS. OBJECTIVE: This study investigates how well triage performed by the ESC nurse triage within the chief symptom list available in Omaolo (anal region symptoms, cough, diarrhea, discharge from the eye or watery or reddish eye, headache, heartburn, knee symptom or injury, lower back pain or injury, oral health, painful or blocked ear, respiratory tract infection, sexually transmitted disease, shoulder pain or stiffness or injury, sore throat or throat symptom, and urinary tract infection). In addition, the accuracy, specificity, sensitivity, and safety of the Omaolo ESC were assessed. METHODS: This is a clinical validation study in a real-life setting performed at multiple primary health care (PHC) centers across Finland. The included units were of the walk-in model of primary care, where no previous phone call or contact was required. Upon arriving at the PHC center, users (patients) answered the ESC questions and received a triage recommendation; a nurse then assessed their triage. Findings on 877 patients were analyzed by matching the ESC recommendations with triage by the triage nurse. RESULTS: Safe assessments by the ESC accounted for 97.6% (856/877; 95% CI 95.6%-98.0%) of all assessments made. The mean of the exact match for all symptom assessments was 53.7% (471/877; 95% CI 49.2%-55.9%). The mean value of the exact match or overly conservative but suitable for all (ESC's assessment was 1 triage level higher than the nurse's triage) symptom assessments was 66.6% (584/877; 95% CI 63.4%-69.7%). When the nurse concluded that urgent treatment was needed, the ESC's exactly matched accuracy was 70.9% (244/344; 95% CI 65.8%-75.7%). Sensitivity for the Omaolo ESC was 62.6% and specificity of 69.2%. A total of 21 critical assessments were identified for further analysis: there was no indication of compromised patient safety. CONCLUSIONS: The primary objectives of this study were to evaluate the safety and to explore the accuracy, specificity, and sensitivity of the Omaolo ESC. The results indicate that the ESC is safe in a real-life setting when appraised with assessments conducted by triage nurses. Furthermore, the Omaolo ESC exhibits the potential to guide patients to appropriate triage destinations effectively, helping them to receive timely and suitable care. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): RR2-10.2196/41423.

Electronic consultation to improve care outcomes in patients with suspected and confirmed heparin-induced thrombocytopenia.

Background: Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) is a complication of heparin exposure associated with high risk for morbidity and mortality. Diagnosis and management are complex due to limitations of laboratory testing and the need for nonheparin anticoagulation. Objectives: To increase the delivery of evidence-based care of patients with suspected and confirmed HIT via electronic consultation (e-consult). Methods: We describe the creation and implementation of an e-consult service for patients with concern for HIT at a large academic medical center. Hematology physicians with HIT expertise performed real-time chart review of all patients with a positive screening immunoassay result and provided written recommendations in their electronic health record. Results: Comparison of outcomes for 1 year before and the year after the e-consult service implementation identified improvements in direct thrombin inhibitor stewardship, increased diagnostic accuracy, and decreased length of stay of patients with confirmed HIT. Conclusion: The e-consult platform is a novel method for rapid, targeted consultative guidance, and this single-institution pilot demonstrates its feasibility and effectiveness to improve the care of patients with suspected and confirmed HIT.

Clinical effects of a home care program for patients with peritoneal dialysis in a tertiary care hospital.

Background: Digital health technologies have been rapidly adopted during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. In Korea, a home care program, including face-to-face educational consultation and remote patient monitoring, was initiated to improve patients' quality of life. This study focused on patients with end-stage renal disease undergoing peritoneal dialysis to verify the long-term clinical effectiveness of this home care program. Methods: This retrospective cohort study was designed as a pre-post study to analyze the clinical impact of a home care program for patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis in a single tertiary care hospital. A total of 186 patients were selected from June 2017 to May 2022 to identify clinical changes after program implementation by analyzing changes in peritonitis incidence and laboratory test results. Interrupted time series analyses with ordinary least squares linear regression and chi-square tests were used. Results: At baseline, the incidence of peritonitis continuously increased by 0.480 cases per 1,000 patient-months (p = 0.02). After program initiation, the trend significantly decreased by 0.886 cases per 1,000 patient-months (p = 0.02). In addition, the proportion of individuals reaching the clinical target range had increased calcium levels (4.9%p, p = 0.003), stable hemoglobin (1.2%p, p = 0.477), phosphorus (2.8%p, p = 0.09), potassium (-1.6%p, p = 0.22), while parathyroid hormone levels decreased (-6.6%p, p = 0.005). Conclusion: With a reduction in peritonitis incidence and overall improvement in laboratory test results, our study suggests that conducting a home care program for patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis is clinically effective.

Early discharge of patients with mild acute pancreatitis - A scoping review.

BACKGROUND: Acute pancreatitis is a common disease that is usually mild and self-limiting. Early discharge of patients with mild acute pancreatitis, with the use of supporting outpatient services including remote monitoring or smartphone applications, might be safe and could reduce the healthcare demand. The objective of this review was to provide a comprehensive overview of existing strategies aimed at facilitating early discharge of patients diagnosed with mild acute pancreatitis and to assess clinical outcomes, feasibility and costs associated with these strategies. METHODS: PubMed, Cochrane, Embase, and Web of Science were systematically searched, to identify studies that evaluated strategies to reduce the length of hospital stay in patients with mild acute pancreatitis. RESULTS: Five studies, including 84 to 419 patients each, were identified and described three different early discharge protocols. The early discharge strategies resulted in a median length of hospital stay of a minimum of 6 to a maximum of 23 h in these studies. Early discharge compared to usual care did not result in increased 30-day readmissions. Additionally, no occurrences of complications or mortality were observed in either group. A significant reduction in overall costs was reported ranging from 43.1 % to 85.4 %. CONCLUSIONS: Early discharge of patients with mild acute pancreatitis seems both feasible and safe. Further studies are warranted, since focus on safe early discharge could significantly reduce inpatient healthcare utilization and associated costs.

[Ophthalmology telemedicine at Rennes University Medical Center: Evaluation of the secure platform OMNIDOC during its first year of use]. / Télé-expertise en ophtalmologie au centre hospitalier universitaire de Rennes : évaluation de la plateforme sécurisée OMNIDOC au cours de sa première année d'utilisation.

INTRODUCTION: Ophthalmology as a specialty is a pioneer in the area of telemedicine. Remote consultation represents one of the 5 types of telemedicine services, with a growing volume of activity in university hospitals. In November 2020, the ophthalmology department of Rennes University Medical Center launched its remote consultation network with the secured platform OMNIDOC. The goal of this study was to assess its contribution during its first year of use. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Beginning in November 2020, ophthalmology consults at Rennes University Medical Center were directed towards the dedicated OMNIDOC network. Three-hundred and forty-one requests for remote consultation were received and analyzed between November 2020 and October 2021. We sent a satisfaction survey to both the requesting and consultant physicians to assess whether or not the network was beneficial. RESULTS: Three-hundred and twenty-seven remote consultations requested by 126 practitioners were included in the study. The median response time was 6hours. Every field of the specialty was involved, of which 22.3% were for pediatric patients under 6years of age. Among the requests, 89.7% were regional (Brittany) and came mostly from ophthalmologists (61.77%). Nearly one out of two patients did not require an in-person consultation at Rennes University Medical Center. DISCUSSION: The implementation of a remote consultation network allowed access to a rapid, facilitated medical ophthalmology consultation. Such a platform delivers safety and traceability of the interactions. It enhances and optimizes the patients' care pathway and encourages relationships with community physicians.

Digital otoscopy in remote consultations.

Introduction: Otoscopes and otomicroscopes are the most commonly used instruments for visualizing the ear. Digital otoscopy (DO) could be used to improve diagnostics in primary health care by utilizing image enlargement. The aim of the study was to explore the possibilities of DO in remote consultations. Materials and Methods: Based on real-life referrals, 45 otologic outpatients were recruited. DO was performed followed by an attending otologist's appointment, serving as the gold standard. Twenty-four patient cases were analyzed on a digital platform as remote consultation cases containing the given referral information supplemented with DO videos (DOVs). A total of 71 evaluations were performed by five otologists. The quality of the DOVs, their suitability for remote consultations, the accuracy of diagnoses and the usefulness of remote consultations were determined. Results: The average DOV quality was judged to be 7.4 ± 0.3 (mean ± standard error of the mean; scale of 1-10). The diagnosis was correct in 79% of the cases. In 59% of the patients, the otologists considered that remote consultation could have replaced an in-person visit. Conclusions: In our simulated remote consultation setup, DOV quality was sufficient for diagnostic purposes, DO improved diagnostics and treatment planning in most cases and could be used to reduce the need for in-person visits. DO-aided remote consultation may improve diagnostics and access to care.Level of evidence: 3.

Exploring How Patients Are Supported to Use Online Services in Primary Care in England Through "Digital Facilitation": Survey Study.

BACKGROUND: Health service policy in many jurisdictions is driving greater investment into digital primary care services. While some patients and practices may benefit, there are concerns that not all are able or wish to access primary care services online. "Digital facilitation" is the "range of processes, procedures, and personnel seeking to support patients in their uptake and use of online services" and may address such concerns. OBJECTIVE: As part of a multimethod research program, we undertook surveys of practice staff and patients to gain insight into the support being offered by practices and explore patients' experiences of this support. METHODS: General practices from 4 regions of England were sent a questionnaire exploring the modes of digital facilitation offered, the personnel involved in its delivery, and views on the motivations and drivers for providing support. Moreover, 12,822 patients registered with 62 general practices (predominantly those providing practice survey responses) were sent a questionnaire exploring their experiences of any support offered by their practice to use online services. RESULTS: Almost one-third of practices (156/500, 31.2%) responded to the practice survey, with most reporting using passive modes of digital facilitation (eg, display, leaflets, and SMS text messages) and few using active modes (eg, offering tablets or computers or using practice champions). However, 90.9% (130/143) reported providing ad hoc support. Practices agreed that it was the responsibility of both the practice (105/144, 72.9%) and the wider National Health Service (118/143, 82.5%) to support patients in using online services and that providing such support benefited the practice (126/144, 87.5%) and their patients (132/144, 91.7%). Nearly a quarter of the patients (3051/12,822, 23.8%) responded to the patient survey, with few (522/3051, 17.11% or less) reporting awareness of any modes of digital facilitation apart from text messages and emails (1205/3051, 39.5%) and only 13.36% (392/2935) reporting receiving support to use online services. Adjusted logistic regression analyses showed that older patients had a lower likelihood of 4 outcomes: being aware of, or of using, digital facilitation efforts, or being told about or being helped to use online services (all P<.05), particularly with regard to being helped to use online services (adjusted odds ratio for patients aged 85 years versus those aged 55-64 years: 0.08, 95% CI 0.02-0.36). However, ethnic minority participants or those for whom their first language was not English had positive associations with these outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: General practices recognize that patients would benefit from support to access online services. However, the support provided is often passive or ad hoc, and patients were seldom aware of digital facilitation efforts that their practice provided. There is potential to increase engagement with online primary care services by providing more support for all patients, particularly to provide targeted support for older patients.

[Cost-effectiveness of digital care and face-to-face care in the first-level of care]. / Costo-efectividad de la atención digital y la atención presencial en el primer nivel.

Background: The medical care paradigm is face-to-face; however, technological development has led to the digital modality. Objective: To determine cost-effectiveness of digital care and face-to-face care at the first level of care. Material and methods: Cost-effectiveness study. 2 groups were integrated: the digital service and the face-to-face service. The sample size was calculated with the percentage formula for 2 groups, and the result was 217 per group. The effectiveness was evaluated in 3 dimensions: the satisfaction of the patient, of the doctor and of the medical assistant. In all 3 cases the Visual analogue scale was used. The cost corresponded to the fixed unit cost estimated with the technique of times and movements adjusted for the duration of care. The statistical analysis included averages, percentages and cost-effectiveness ratio. Results: The cost of digital attention is $343.83 and face-to-face attention is $171.91 (all estimated in Mexican pesos). From the patient's perspective, the effectiveness in digital care is $9.47 and in face-to-face is $9.25. The cost to reach effectiveness of 10 in face-to-face care is $185.85 and in digital care $363.20. From the physician's perspective, the cost to achieve effectiveness of 10 is $419.13 in digital care and $184.52 in face-to-face care. From the perspective of the medical assistant, to achieve effectiveness of 10, the cost in digital care is $468.43 and in face-to-face $179.83. Conclusions: Currently, the best cost-effectiveness ratio corresponds to face-to-face care; however, digital care is an option that will have to evolve.

Introducción: el paradigma de atención médica es presencial; sin embargo, el desarrollo tecnológico ha propiciado la modalidad digital. Objetivo: determinar el costo-efectividad de la atención digital y la atención presencial en primer nivel. Material y métodos: estudio de costo-efectividad. Se integraron 2 grupos: el de atención digital y el de atención presencial. El tamaño de muestra se calculó con la fórmula de porcentajes para 2 grupos y el resultado fue 217 por grupo. La efectividad se evaluó en 3 dimensiones: la satisfacción del paciente, del médico y de la asistente médica. En los 3 casos se utilizó la Escala visual analógica. El costo correspondió al costo unitario fijo estimado con la técnica de tiempos y movimientos ajustado por la duración de la atención. El análisis estadístico incluyó promedios, porcentajes y relación costo-efectividad. Resultados: el costo de la atención digital es $343.83 y la atención presencial $171.91. Desde la perspectiva del paciente, la efectividad en atención digital es 9.47 y en presencial 9.25. El costo para alcanzar una efectividad de 10 en la atención presencial es $185.85 y en la atención digital $363.20. Desde la perspectiva del médico, el costo para alcanzar una efectividad de 10 es $419.13 en la atención digital y $184.52 en la atención presencial. Desde la perspectiva de la asistente médica, para alcanzar una efectividad de 10 el costo en la atención digital es $468.43 y en la presencial $179.83. Conclusiones: actualmente la mejor relación costo-efectividad corresponde a la atención presencial; sin embargo, la atención digital es una opción que tendrá que evolucionar.

eVisits to primary care and subsequent health care contacts: a register-based study.

BACKGROUND: Evidence concerning health care use related to virtual visits is conflicting. More research has been called for regarding the effectiveness of text-based virtual visits (eVisits). Therefore, we investigated patient characteristics, diagnoses, and subsequent health care contacts after eVisits to primary care. METHODS: We conducted a register-based cohort study of eVisits to an all-virtual public primary care unit in Sweden and subsequent health care contacts within 14 days. Data for 2021 were acquired from the regional health care databases. Diagnoses were sorted into relevant diagnostic groups, such as skin diagnoses and respiratory tract diagnoses. Multiple logistic regression was performed with subsequent health care contact as the outcome variable and diagnostic group for the eVisit as the predictor variable. Analyses were adjusted for age, sex, and socioeconomic index. RESULTS: There were 5817 eVisits to a nurse and 4267 eVisits to a general practitioner (N = 10 084). Most patients were 20 to 39 years of age (41.8%). Skin diagnoses were most frequent (47.3%), followed by respiratory tract diagnoses (19.9%). Approximately one-fourth (25.8%) of the patients who completed an eVisit with a nurse or a general practitioner had a subsequent face-to-face visit within 14 days, mostly in primary care. Subsequent contacts were more frequent after an eVisit to a nurse than to a general practitioner. After an eVisit to a general practitioner, patients with infections (especially respiratory tract but also urinary tract) and unspecified diagnoses (especially skin-related) were more likely to require further health care contact compared to a group with various other diagnoses. CONCLUSIONS: eVisits to an all-virtual primary care unit may be appropriate for uncomplicated medical complaints. Nonetheless, the effectiveness of eVisits in terms of substitution of physical visits, and resource utilization in relation to the more complex care needs of a primary care population, should be further studied.

Evaluation of the impact of neurology electronic consults (e-consults): Experiences of a neurology resident clinic in a safety-net hospital.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Electronic consults (e-consults) are asynchronous, formalized requests by a provider to involve a specialist to assist with decision making. E-consults are an alternative to face-to-face consultation and are a promising strategy to efficiently address certain requests for advice. The objective of this project was to examine the utility and characteristics of electronic consults utilized in a safety-net hospital outpatient neurology clinic. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed e-consults to the neurology clinic from1 January 2021 to 31 September 2021. The reasons for requests and any diagnostic or treatment recommendations were collected. The time to completion of the e-consults and the percentage of e-consult referred for an in-person clinic evaluation were determined as outcome measures. Following each e-consult, the consulting provider completed a survey to gather their assessment on the appropriateness of the consult, time spent answering the consult, and if unnecessary testing or clinic visits were avoided. RESULTS: A total of 528 e-consults were completed during the study period. The most frequent e-consult referrals were for headache (22%), stroke/neurovascular (21%), neuropathy/neuritis/disturbance of skin sensation (11%), and seizures/spells (11%). The majority of e-consults (94%) were answered in one business day (defined as occurring within 24 h) with 67% of consults answered the same day (defined as occurring within the same calendar day). The consulting providers reported that more than 90% of e-consults took <15 min to answer, and 84% of e-consult requests were felt to be appropriate. A total 156 (41.4%) patients initially seen as an e-consult were referred for a face-to-face visit within 90 days of the e-consult. DISCUSSION: E-consults provided expedited input from neurologists, which is vital in health systems that provide care to vulnerable populations. The majority of e-consults were answered within 1 day of referral, offering rapid access to neurological expertise in comparison to wait times currently encountered for face-to-face visits. Accordingly, e-consults have the potential to expedite treatment for patients, empower primary care providers, and reduce demand for in-person consultations, particularly in large health systems caring for vulnerable populations.

Primary care physicians' experiences of video and online chat consultations: a qualitative descriptive study.

OBJECTIVES: To explore the perceptions and views of remote consultations and patient care of primary care physicians (PCPs) who work remotely regularly and have experience performing remote consultations. DESIGN: A qualitative study using thematic analysis. SETTING: Four online focus group interviews with 17 PCPs, working with one private health care provider, with public and private primary care patients. SUBJECTS: PCPs who had performed video or online chat consultations with primary care patients for at least 6 months. MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS: PCPs' perceptions and views working remotely in online chat and video consultations. RESULTS: Two main themes describing how PCPs perceived remote consultations emerged: 1) remote consultations have an impact on the way physicians work, and 2) remote consultations have an impact on the service system and patients. The subthemes of the first main theme included the physicians' new way of working, impacts on physicians' well-being, and impacts on communication and physician competences. The subthemes for the second main theme were the importance of smoothness of services for the patients, patient suitability, and technical liabilities. CONCLUSION: Remote consultations provide PCPs with a new way of working that could improve work-life balance. However, it is important to maintain sufficient clinical competence through versatile work. Digital consultations can make contacting healthcare smoother and easier for patients if the patient selection is performed carefully. Online chat seems suitable for singular contacts and simple issues, but remote consultations could be used to sustain continuity of care.

PCPs perceived that remote consultations had an impact on the PCP's work and the service systemPCPs felt that remote consultations gave them a new way of working and had a positive impact on their workPCPs perceived that working remotely required skills from the PCP, such as sufficient previous clinical experience in face-to-face consultations and communication skillsPCPs felt that patient selection for remote consultations was importantPCPs considered that lack of continuity of care limited the issues that could be dealt with in a remote consultation.PCPs felt that technical liabilities must be considered.

Practical Experience with the Use of Electronic Headache Diaries and Video Consultations in Migraine Care from a Longitudinal Cohort Study.

Background: Telemedicine offers a promising solution to enhance the delivery and personalization of headache care. Integrating electronic (e-)tools enables the objective monitoring of migraine. Objectives: This study aims to demonstrate the relevance of e-tools for personalized headache care, assess patient and caregiver compliance and satisfaction, and present their use in enhancing care. Methods: Firstly, a systematic review was performed to validate the diagnostic accuracy of e-diaries for diagnosing migraine. Secondly, we collected e-diary data prospectively from diagnosed adult migraine patients at the Leiden Headache Center. Finally, questionnaires were sent to evaluate satisfaction of patients and health care providers with the Leiden e-headache diary and video consultations. Results: In the systematic review, the Leiden Headache Center's e-diary was the only validated tool. Patients (n = 1,009) were followed for a median of 181 days (interquartile range [IQR] 84-240). Compliance was 96.4% (IQR 85.2 - 99.1%), with 10.8% of days missing. Factors positively associated with compliance were older age (p < 0.001), female sex (p < 0.001), higher e-diary grade (p < 0.001), and clinical use (p = 0.04). The e-diary received a median score of 8/10 and was well-liked by patients (n = 535) and providers (n = 23). Video consultations were a good alternative for physical visits according to 76.9% of patients and 84.6% of providers. Conclusion: Validated e-headache diaries and video consultations in telemedicine enhance headache care accessibility, providing convenient care at preferred times and locations.

Usefulness of oral health assessment performed by multiple professionals using a short video recording acquired with a tablet device.

Background/purpose: Appropriate oral health assessment and management can improve the oral health and nutritional status of hospitalized patients. The active participation of dental professionals in the nutritional support team (NST) can help achieve this outcome. However, the participation of dental professionals in NSTs is often limited, indicating the requirement for establishing a remote oral health assessment method. This study aimed to establish a multidisciplinary oral health assessment system using short video recordings with a tablet device. Materials and methods: Fifty inpatients receiving NST aid at the Tokyo Medical and Dental University Hospital were included in this study. The degree of agreement between the oral health assessment performed at the bedside and using the short video recordings of the oral health acquired with a tablet device by a single dentist and the degree of agreement for evaluations performed using the video recordings between multiple professionals were evaluated. The oral health status was assessed using the Oral Health Assessment Tool (OHAT). Results: The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) of the OHAT total scores for oral health assessment performed at the bedside and using the videos by a single dentist was 0.914 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.854-0.950). ICCs of the OHAT total scores for the video assessment performed by dentists and multiple professionals were 0.904 (95% CI, 0.838-0.944) and 0.802 (95% CI, 0.676-0.883), respectively. Conclusion: Comprehensive oral health assessment of patients can be performed by multiple professionals using the short video recordings of the oral health acquired with a tablet device.

Digital-first primary care: An ambivalent legacy of Covid-19?

The vast majority of GP appointments had to move from in-person to remote consultation during the pandemic. Rather than phasing this out now that the threat of the coronavirus has begun to ebb, the UK government has announced that digital-first primary care will continue for the foreseeable future. While remote consultation can be beneficial on several fronts, it can compromise professional identity, therapeutic alliance, patient safety and access to healthcare. A hasty push towards normalising digitally-enabled care may therefore increase the risk of misdiagnoses, medical negligence, unnecessary referrals and health inequity. To enhance the gains and iron out the challenges associated with IT-led triage and consultations, it is important to reflect on the lessons learned from the pandemic.

The impact of hematology electronic consultations on the management of iron deficiency.

OBJECTIVES: Delays in the evaluation and treatment of iron deficiency can lead to increased disease-related morbidity and mortality. Electronic consultation (e-consult) is a referral modality that allows providers quicker access to recommendations from a specialist based on electronic chart review. While the use of e-consult is expanding in classical hematology, gaps exist in the understanding of patient outcomes related to its use for iron deficiency. METHODS: We randomly selected 200 e-consults and 200 traditional referrals from 3,336 hematology referrals for iron deficiency at a single center. The primary outcomes of the retrospective analysis were: time to completion of the referral, and time to treatment with intravenous iron. Secondary outcomes included recurrence of iron deficiency, need for repeat e-consult, conversion to in-person evaluation, and assessment of whether the etiology of iron deficiency was addressed. RESULTS: E-consults significantly reduced the time from referral to intravenous iron repletion (e-consult, 33 days; traditional referral, 68 days; p < .05). Assessment of the underlying etiology occurred in 70.7% of the e-consult encounters compared to 92.5% of traditional referrals (p < .05). CONCLUSIONS: These findings highlight advantages of e-consults in improving care delivery in iron deficiency, and identifying gaps that can be improved through practice standardization to ensure equitable, high-value care.

Preoperative Anesthesia Virtual Video Consultations in a Preadmission Clinic: Quality Improvement Study.

BACKGROUND: The preadmission clinic (PAC) is crucial in perioperative care, offering evaluations, education, and patient optimization before surgical procedures. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the PAC adapted by implementing telephone visits due to a lack of infrastructure for video consultations. While the pandemic significantly increased the use of virtual care, including video appointments as an alternative to in-person consultations, our PAC had not used video consultations for preoperative assessments. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to develop, implement, and integrate preoperative video consultations into the PAC workflow. METHODS: A prospective quality improvement project was undertaken using the Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) methodology. The project focused on developing, implementing, and integrating virtual video consultations at London Health Sciences Centre and St. Joseph Health Care (London, Ontario, Canada) in the PAC. Data were systematically collected to monitor the number of patients undergoing video consultations, address patient flow concerns, and increase the percentage of video consultations. Communication between the PAC, surgeon offices, and patients was analyzed for continuous improvement. Technological challenges were addressed, and procedures were streamlined to facilitate video calls on appointment days. RESULTS: The PAC team, which includes professionals from medicine, anesthesia, nursing, pharmacy, occupational therapy, and physiotherapy, offers preoperative evaluation and education to surgical patients, conducting approximately 8000 consultations annually across 3 hospital locations. Following the initial PDSA cycles, the interventions consistently improved the video consultation utilization rate to 17%, indicating positive progress. With the onset of PDSA cycle 3, there was a notable surge to a 29% utilization rate in the early phase. This upward trend continued, culminating in a 38% utilization rate of virtual video consultations in the later stages of the cycle. This heightened level was consistently maintained throughout 2023, highlighting the sustained success of our interventions. CONCLUSIONS: The quality improvement process significantly enhanced the institution's preoperative video consultation workflow. By understanding the complexities within the PAC, strategic interventions were made to integrate video consultations without compromising efficiency, morale, or safety. This project highlights the potential for transformative improvements in health care delivery through the thoughtful integration of virtual care technologies.

Telemedicine in Acute Trauma Care: A Review of Quantitative Evaluations on the Impact of Remote Consultation.

BACKGROUND: There is extensive literature describing the application of telemedicine techniques to trauma care. However, there is a paucity of articles showing quantitative assessment of its safety and efficacy. This structured review examines articles with quantitative assessment of telemedicine's impact in acute trauma care. METHODS: Medline and CINAHL databases were searched for peer-reviewed articles that quantitatively assess the impact of telemedicine on diagnostic accuracy, clinical decision-making, emergency department length of stay, transfer rates, and mortality in initial trauma management. RESULTS: Only 9 of the 408 screened articles met the criteria for quantitative assessment. Telemedicine appears to be preferentially used for more severely injured patients. Limited quality evidence supports procedural interventions at remote sites. Telemedicine may help abbreviate pre-transfer length of stay. However, its impact on diagnosis and mortality remains unclear. CONCLUSIONS: Telemedicine's potential to enhance the quality and efficiency of trauma care, especially for resource-scarce areas, warrants continued quantitative research.