Telehealth and Australian general practice in 2020: A survey exploring patients' perspectives in the Adelaide Hills.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: COVID-19 and Medicare Benefits Schedule rebates have driven the increased use of telehealth in Australian general practice. The aim of this study was to gain an understanding of patients' perspectives towards telehealth in general practice. METHOD: A 10-question online survey was designed and distributed to patients in the Adelaide Hills via direct email invitation, social media posts and flyers between 6 June and 17 July 2020. RESULTS: A total of 154 responses were obtained, 84% indicating interest in ongoing use of telehealth. Telephone consultations made up 100% of consultations. Six per cent of patients would have preferred video consultations. Seventeen per cent would pay an out-of-pocket fee, while the remaining would only use telehealth if bulk billed. No concerns regarding privacy, technical difficulty or lack of confidence in assessments were expressed. DISCUSSION: The reception of telephone consultations in general practice has been strongly positive. Key drivers towards this success should be considered by governing bodies if there is to be continued innovation within the area of remote healthcare delivery.

Journal clubs in Australian medical schools: prevalence, application and educator opinion.

PURPOSE: Medically-focused journal clubs have been used as an educational tool for over 100 years with research indicating that they improve knowledge, reading behaviour, and critical appraisal skills. However, it is not known how widespread their use is among Australian medical schools, nor the opinions of medical education leaders as to their value. METHODS: A nationwide cross-sectional study was performed on academic leaders from every Australian medical school. Individuals were asked to complete a survey detailing their attitudes towards journal clubs using single or multiple answer questions, Likert scales, and ranked data. They were asked whether students at their institutions were able to partake in journal clubs, and if so, details of their implementation. RESULTS: At least one response was collected from 18 of 19 Australian medical schools. This represented 60 responses of a possible 147 (40.8%), the vast majority of whom were heads of clinical schools, 36 (60.0%). The prevalence of journal clubs among medical institutions was high, with 15 of 18 (83.3%) stating that they had a journal club. Of these 23 (65.7%) were metropolitan and 12 (34.3%) were rural institutions. Most were clinician-led, 18 (51.4%), run through specific hospital departments, 13 (37.1%), and most frequently occurred during clinical years, 23 (65.7%). The vast majority stated that the primary aim of the journal club was to develop critical appraisal skills, 20 (57.1%). CONCLUSION: Journal clubs are a highly regarded educational tool in the armoury of medical school educators, with significant heterogeneity in their structure, geographic prevalence and intended purpose. Further studies into their efficacy in teaching evidence-based medicine is warranted in the medical student cohort.