Task shifting in Dutch nursing practice: A repeated cross-sectional analysis of nurses' experiences.

AIM: This study aims firstly to identify shifts in the execution of medical tasks by nurses in the past decade. Secondly, it aims to explore nurses' perspectives on task shifting: how they think task shifting affects the quality of care, the attractiveness of nursing practice and their collaboration with physicians. DESIGN: A quantitative repeated cross-sectional study. METHODS: A nationwide survey was conducted among Dutch registered nurses (RNs) working in hospitals and home care, first in 2012 and again in 2022, with sample sizes of 359 and 362, respectively. Analyses were based on descriptive statistics and logistic and linear regressions. RESULTS: Between 2012 and 2022, there was a significant increase in the execution of only one medical task by nurses, namely prescribing over-the-counter medication. The majority reported in both years that task shifting has positive impact on their professional autonomy and the attractiveness of nursing practice. However, most nurses also reported that task shifting increased their workload (72.7% in 2022) could lead to conflicts in care teams (20.9% in 2022 compared to 14.7% in 2012) and may cause physicians to feel threatened (32.8% in 2022 and 29.9% in 2012). There were no significant changes in nurses' perception of the impact of task shifting on quality of care, the attractiveness of nursing practice and the nurse-physician relationship. CONCLUSION: There was an increase in the execution of prescribing over-the-counter-medication by nurses between 2012 and 2022. However, both in 2012 and in 2022, as the majority of nurses reported that task shifting increased their workload, there is reason to worry about this negative consequence of task shifting, e.g. with regard to labour market issues. Further research, also among the medical profession, is needed to better understand and address the implications of task shifting for the nursing profession. IMPLICATIONS FOR THE PROFESSION: Implications for the nursing profession include potential scope expansion with complex tasks, attracting more individuals to nursing careers, although an eye must also be kept on what that means for the workload of nurses and the relationship with physicians. IMPACT: Nurse prescribing medicines was more executed in 2022 compared to 2012. Nurses had a predominantly positive perspective on task shifting, but still felt it can cause conflicts in care teams, high workload and physicians feeling threatened. These results can help during implementation of task shifting and in monitoring the perceived effects of task shifting among nurses. REPORTING METHOD: This study followed the STROBE reporting guideline for cross-sectional studies. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: No Patient or Public Contribution. This study focussed on the task shifting (perspectives) of nurses.

Shared decision-making in undergraduate nursing and medical education: An explorative dual-method study.

OBJECTIVE: This study explores how shared decision-making (SDM) is integrated in undergraduate nursing and medical education. METHODS: A dual-method design was applied. The integration of SDM in medicine and nursing education programs (i.e. SDM on paper) was explored through document analyses; the integration of SDM in curricula (i.e. SDM in class) through interviews with teachers and curriculum coordinators (N = 19). RESULTS: A majority of the education programs featured SDM, mostly non-explicit. In curricula SDM was generally implicitly featured in compulsory courses across all study years. SDM was often integrated into preexisting theories and models and taught through various methods and materials. Generally, teachers and supervisors were not trained in SDM themselves. They assessed students' competence in SDM in a summative manner. CONCLUSION: Overall, SDM was featured in undergraduate nursing and medical education, however, very implicitly.

Medical deserts in Spain-Insights from an international project.

INTRODUCTION: Medical deserts are a growing phenomenon across many European countries. They are usually defined as (i) rural areas, (ii) underserved areas or (iii) by applying a measure of distance/time to a facility or a combination of the three characteristics. The objective was to define medical deserts in Spain as well as map their driving factors and approaches to mitigate them. METHODS: A mixed methods approach was applied following the project "A Roadmap out of medical deserts into supportive health workforce initiatives and policies" work plan. It included the following elements: (i) a scoping literature review; (ii) a questionnaire survey; (iii) national stakeholders' workshop; (iv) a descriptive case study on medical deserts in Spain. RESULTS: Medical deserts in Spain exist in the form of mostly rural areas with limited access to health care. The main challenge in their identification and monitoring is local data availability. Diversity of both factors contributing to medical deserts and solutions applied to eliminate or mitigate them can be identified in Spain. They can be related to demand for or supply of health care services. More national data, analyses and/or initiatives seem to be focused on the health care supply dimension. CONCLUSIONS: Addressing medical deserts in Spain requires a comprehensive and multidimensional approach. Effective policies are needed to address both the medical staff education and planning system, working conditions, as well as more intersectoral approach to the population health management.

Elements of organisation of integrated maternity care and their associations with outcomes: a scoping review protocol.

INTRODUCTION: Integrated care is seen as an enabling strategy in organising healthcare to improve quality, finances, personnel and sustainability. Developments in the organisation of maternity care follow this trend. The way care is organised should support the general aims and outcomes of healthcare systems. Organisation itself consists of a variety of smaller 'elements of organisation'. Various elements of organisation are implemented in different organisations and networks. We will examine which elements of integrated maternity care are associated with maternal and neonatal health outcomes, experiences of women and professionals, healthcare spending and care processes. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: We will conduct this review using the JBI methodology for scoping reviews and the reporting guideline PRISMA-ScR (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis extension for Scoping Reviews). We will undertake a systematic search in the databases PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane and PsycINFO. A machine learning tool, ASReview, will be used to select relevant papers. These papers will be analysed and classified thematically using the framework of the Rainbow Model of Integrated Care (RMIC). The Population Concept Context framework for scoping reviews will be used in which 'Population' is defined as elements of the organisation of integrated maternity care, 'Context' as high-income countries and 'Concepts' as outcomes stated in the objective of this review. We will include papers from 2012 onwards, in Dutch or English language, which describe both 'how the care is organised' (elements) and 'outcomes'. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Since this is a scoping review of previously published summary data, ethical approval for this study is not needed. Findings will be published in a peer-reviewed international journal, discussed in a webinar and presented at (inter)national conferences and meetings of professional associations.The findings of this scoping review will give insight into the nature and effectiveness of elements of integrated care and will generate hypotheses for further research.

International comparison of professional competency frameworks for nurses: a document analysis.

BACKGROUND: Nursing competency frameworks describe the competencies; knowledge, skills and attitudes nurses should possess. Countries have their own framework. Knowledge of the content of professional competency frameworks in different countries can enhance the development of these frameworks and international collaborations. OBJECTIVE: This study examines how competencies and task divisions are described in the current professional competency frameworks for registered nurses (RNs with a Bachelor's degree) in the Netherlands, Belgium, the United Kingdom (UK), Canada and the United States (US). METHODS: Qualitative document analysis was conducted using the most recently published professional competency frameworks for registered nurses in the above-mentioned five countries. RESULTS: All the competency frameworks distinguished categories of competencies. Three of the five frameworks explicitly mentioned the basis for the categorization: an adaptation of the CanMEDS model (Netherlands), European directives on the recognition of professional qualifications (Belgium) and an adapted inter-professional framework (US). Although there was variation in how competencies were grouped, we inductively identified ten generic competency domains: (1) Professional Attitude, (2) Clinical Care in Practice, (3) Communication and Collaboration, (4) Health Promotion and Prevention, (5) Organization and Planning of Care, (6) Leadership, (7) Quality and Safety of Care, (8) Training and (continuing) Education, (9) Technology and e-Health, (10) Support of Self-Management and Patient Empowerment. Country differences were found in some more specific competency descriptions. All frameworks described aspects related to the division of tasks between nurses on the one hand and physicians and other healthcare professionals on the other hand. However, these descriptions were rather limited and often imprecise. CONCLUSIONS: Although ten generic domains could be identified when analysing and comparing the competency frameworks, there are country differences in the categorizations and the details of the competencies described in the frameworks. These differences and the limited attention paid to the division of tasks might lead to cross-country differences in nursing practice and barriers to the international labour mobility of Bachelor-educated RNs.

Quick adaptation of the organisation of general practices during the COVID-19 pandemic in the Netherlands.

BACKGROUND: General practices have adapted the practice organisation to the circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic. In this article we describe several adjustments in general practices in the field of patient flow management, appointments, triage, referral and infection prevention. We also examined how practices relate to the policy of the government and of the professional organisations during the pandemic. METHODS: A cross-sectional online survey was conducted among a sample of 893 general practitioners (GPs) during February and March 2021. The response rate was 17%. Because the questionnaire concerns practices and not individual GPs, one practice owner per practice received an invitation with a link to the online questionnaire. One reminder has been sent. RESULTS: General practices adapted their organisation during the corona pandemic, partly based on information and advice from their professional organisations. The adjustments were necessary to ensure that patient care continued as much and as safely as possible, often remotely. The use of video consultations quickly increased from 6% to 65% of the practices. The cooperation with neighbouring practices improved and practices felt supported by the professional organisations. CONCLUSIONS: The pandemic itself, remote care and stricter patient flow management have put pressure on the quality of care and patient safety. The accessibility of the practices was sometimes limited. In the perception of patients, this was stronger than in reality.

The influence of government policies on the nurse practitioner and physician assistant workforce in the Netherlands, 2000-2022: a multimethod approach study.

BACKGROUND: Many countries are looking for ways to increase nurse practitioner (NP) and physician assistant/associate (PA) deployment. Countries are seeking to tackle the pressing issues of increasing healthcare demand, healthcare costs, and medical doctor shortages. This article provides insights into the potential impact of various policy measures on NP/PA workforce development in the Netherlands. METHODS: We applied a multimethod approach study using three methods: 1) a review of government policies, 2) surveys on NP/PA workforce characteristics, and 3) surveys on intake in NP/PA training programs. RESULTS: Until 2012, the annual intake into NP and PA training programs was comparable to the number of subsidized training places. In 2012, a 131% increase in intake coincided with extending the legal scope of practice of NPs and PAs and substantially increasing subsidized NP/PA training places. However, in 2013, the intake of NP and PA trainees decreased by 23% and 24%, respectively. The intake decreased in hospitals, (nursing) home care, and mental healthcare, coinciding with fiscal austerity in these sectors. We found that other policies, such as legal acknowledgment, reimbursement, and funding platforms and research, do not consistently coincide with NP/PA training and employment trends. The ratios of NPs and PAs to medical doctors increased substantially in all healthcare sectors from 3.5 and 1.0 per 100 full-time equivalents in medical doctors in 2012 to 11.0 and 3.9 in 2022, respectively. For NPs, the ratios vary between 2.5 per 100 full-time equivalents in medical doctors in primary care and 41.9 in mental healthcare. PA-medical doctor ratios range from 1.6 per 100 full-time equivalents in medical doctors in primary care to 5.8 in hospital care. CONCLUSIONS: This study reveals that specific policies coincided with NP and PA workforce growth. Sudden and severe fiscal austerity coincided with declining NP/PA training intake. Furthermore, governmental training subsidies coincided and were likely associated with NP/PA workforce growth. Other policy measures did not consistently coincide with trends in intake in NP/PA training or employment. The role of extending the scope of practice remains to be determined. The skill mix is shifting toward an increasing share of medical care provided by NPs and PAs in all healthcare sectors.

General Practices' Experiences With Patients' Web-Based Access to Medical Records: Survey Study.

BACKGROUND: Patients' web-based access to their medical records is expected to promote their role and responsibility in managing their own health and treatments and supporting shared decision-making. As of July 2020, general practices in the Netherlands are legally obliged to provide their patients access to their electronic medical records. Web-based access provision is facilitated and stimulated through a national support program named OPEN. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to investigate general practice staff experiences with providing web-based access; investigate its impact on patient consultations, administrative actions, and patient inquiries; and investigate how it affects routine general practice workflow processes. METHODS: In October 2021, a total of 3813 general practices in the Netherlands were invited to complete a web-based survey that included questions regarding their experiences with the provision of web-based access to medical records and how it affects routine general practice workflow. Responses of general practices that started providing web-based access before 2020, in 2020, or in 2021 were analyzed to identify trends. RESULTS: Of 3813 invited general practices, 523 (13.72%) completed the survey. Approximately all responding general practices (487/523, 93.1%) indicated that they provide web-based access. Experiences with patients' web-based access were diverse, with 36.9% (178/482) primarily positive, 8.1% (39/482) primarily negative, 42.3% (204/482) neutral, and 12.7% (61/482) could not (yet) indicate how they experienced web-based access. Of the total, two-thirds (311/473, 65.8%) reported an increase in e-consultations and a similar percentage (302/474, 63.7%) indicated an increase in administrative actions associated with web-based access provision. A small proportion of the practices (≤10%) experienced a decrease in patient contacts. Earlier adoption of web-based access was associated with a more positive attitude toward web-based access and more positive experienced effects related to patient contacts and general practice workflow. CONCLUSIONS: The surveyed general practices mainly experienced providing web-based access as either neutral or mostly positive, despite an increased number of patient contacts and administrative burden that were associated with its adoption. Periodic monitoring of experiences is needed to understand the temporal or structural nature of both the intended and unintended effects of patients' web-based access to medical records for general practices and their staff.

Recruitment and retention of general practitioners in European medical deserts: a systematic review.

INTRODUCTION: Despite policies aiming at universal health coverage by ensuring availability and accessibility of general practitioners (GPs), medically underserved areas are still present in Europe. This systematic review aims to summarize and compare literature on interventions and their potential effectiveness of GP recruitment and retention in these underserved areas ('medical deserts') from 2011 onwards. METHODS: PubMed and Embase were used to identify publications, applying a two-stage selection process. All types of study designs, published in the past 10 years, were included if they discussed a possible intervention for GP recruitment or retention covering an underserved area in an EU-27/EEA/EFTA country (part of the European Union, the European Economic Area or the European Free Trade Association). Exclusion criteria were abstracts or full text not available, conference abstracts, poster presentations, books or overlapping secondary literature. Identified interventions were classified into four categories: 'education', 'professional and personal support', 'financial incentives' and 'regulation'. Eligible articles were critically appraisal by two authors (JB, LF), independently, by using the Joanna Briggs Institute checklist. RESULTS: Of the 294 publications initially retrieved, 25 publications were included. Of them, 14 (56%) described educational interventions, 13 (52%) professional and personal support, and 11 (40%) financial or regulatory interventions. Overlapping categories were often described (56%). The effectiveness of educational or supportive interventions has mainly been evaluated cross-sectionally, whereby causal inference on future GP availability cannot be implied. Few and mixed results were found for the effectiveness of financial and regulatory interventions, because period co-interventions were not taken into account during the study. CONCLUSION: In the past 10 years, educational and supportive interventions to improve GP recruitment and retention have been reported most frequently, but often overlapping strategies are seen. While multiple strategies have potential to be effective, their limited evaluation makes it difficult to provide suggestions for policymakers to adapt their GP recruitment and retention strategies aiming at a best-practice approach in European medical deserts.

Characteristics of medical deserts and approaches to mitigate them: a scoping review.

INTRODUCTION: Medical deserts are increasingly considered problematic and many countries employ a multitude of actions and initiatives to achieve a better distribution of the health workforce (HWF). This study systematically maps research and provides an overview of the definitions/characteristics of medical deserts. It also identifies contributing factors and approaches to mitigate medical deserts. METHODS: Embase, MEDLINE, CINAHL, Web of Science Core Collection, Google Scholar and The Cochrane Library were searched from inception to May 2021. Studies reporting primary research on definitions, characteristics, contributing factors and approaches to mitigate medical deserts were included. Two independent reviewers assessed studies for eligibility, extracted data and clustered studies. RESULTS: Two-hundred and forty studies were included (49% Australia/New Zealand, 43% North America, 8% Europe). All used observational designs except for five quasi-experimental studies. Studies provided definitions (n=160), characteristics (n=71), contributing/associated factors (n=113), and approaches to mitigate medical deserts (n=94). Most medical deserts were defined by the density of the population in an area. Contributing/associated factors consisted in sociodemographic/characteristics of HWF (n=70), work-related factors (n=43) and lifestyle conditions (n=34). Approaches focused on training adapted to the scope of rural practice (n=79), HWF distribution (n=3), support and infrastructure (n=6) and innovative models of care (n=7). DISCUSSION: Our study provides the first scoping review on definitions, characteristics, contributing/associated factors and approaches to mitigate medical deserts. We identified gaps such as the scarcity of longitudinal studies to investigate factors contributing to medical deserts, and interventional studies to evaluate the effectiveness of approaches to mitigate medical deserts.

Work like a Doc: A comparison of regulations on residents' working hours in 14 high-income countries.

BACKGROUND: Medical residents work long, continuous hours. Working in conditions of extreme fatigue has adverse effects on the quality and safety of care, and on residents' quality of life. Many countries have attempted to regulate residents' work hours. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to review residents' work hours regulations in different countries with an emphasis on night shifts. METHODS: Standardized qualitative data on residents' working hours were collected with the assistance of experts from 14 high-income countries through a questionnaire. An international comparative analysis was performed. RESULTS: All countries reviewed limit the weekly working hours; North-American countries limit to 60-80 h, European countries limit to 48 h. In most countries, residents work 24 or 26 consecutive hours, but the number of long overnight shifts varies, ranging from two to ten. Many European countries face difficulties in complying with the weekly hour limit and allow opt-out contracts to exceed it. CONCLUSIONS: In the countries analyzed, residents still work long hours. Attempts to limit the shift length or the weekly working hours resulted in modest improvements in residents' quality of life with mixed effects on quality of care and residents' education.

How does government policy influence the employment and training of nurse practitioners and physician assistants? A realist analysis using qualitative interviews.

AIMS: The aim of this study was to develop insights into how and why Dutch government policies on deployment and training of nurse practitioners and physician assistants have effect and under what circumstances. DESIGN: A realist analysis using qualitative interviews. METHODS: Data analysis of 50 semi-structured interviews conducted in 2019 with healthcare providers, sectoral and professional associations, and training coordinators. Stratified purposive and snowball sampling were used. RESULTS: Policies stimulated employment and training of nurse practitioners and physician assistants by: (1) contributing to the familiarity of participants in the decision-making process in healthcare providers with and medical doctors' trust in these professions; (2) contributing to participants' motivation in employment and training; and (3) eliminating barriers perceived by medical doctors, managers and directors. The extent to which policies affected employment and training was largely determined by sectoral and organizational circumstances, such as healthcare demand and complexity, and decision-makers in healthcare providers (medical doctors or managers/directors). CONCLUSION: Effectuating familiarity and trust among participants in the decision-making process is a crucial first step. Next, policymakers can motivate participants and lower their perceived barriers by extending the scope of practice, creating reimbursement opportunities and contributing to training costs. Theoretical insights into nurse practitioner and physician assistant employment and training have been refined. IMPACT: The findings highlight how governments, health insurers, sectoral and professional associations, departments, councils, healthcare providers and professionals can facilitate and support nurse practitioner and physician assistant employment and training by contributing to familiarity, trust and motivation, and by clearing perceived barriers.

Characteristics of Medical Deserts and Approaches to Mitigate Their Health Workforce Issues: A Scoping Review of Empirical Studies in Western Countries.

BACKGROUND: Medical deserts are considered a problematic issue for many Western countries which try to employ multitude of policies and initiatives to achieve a better distribution of their health workforce (HWF). The aim of this study was to systematically map research and provide an overview of definitions, characteristics, contributing factors and approaches to mitigate medical deserts within the European Union (EU)-funded project "ROUTE-HWF" (a Roadmap OUT of mEdical deserts into supportive Health WorkForce initiatives and policies). METHODS: We performed a scoping review to identify knowledge clusters/research gaps in the field of medical deserts focusing on HWF issues. Six databases were searched till June 2021. Studies reporting primary research from Western countries on definitions, characteristics, contributing factors, and approaches were included. Two independent reviewers assessed studies for eligibility, extracted data and clustered studies according to the four defined outcomes. RESULTS: Two-hundred and forty studies were included (n=116, 48% Australia/New Zealand; n=105, 44% North America; n=20, 8% Europe). All used observational designs except for five quasi-experimental studies. Studies provided definitions (n=171, 71%), characteristics (n=95, 40%), contributing factors (n=112, 47%), and approaches to mitigate medical deserts (n=87, 36%). Most medical deserts were defined by the density of the population in an area. Contributing factors to HWF issues in medical deserts consisted in work-related (n=55, 23%) and lifestyle-related factors (n=33, 14%) of the HWF as well as sociodemographic characteristics (n=79, 33%). Approaches to mitigate them focused on training adapted to the scope of rural practice (n=67, 28%), HWF distribution (n=3, 1%), support/infrastructure (n=8, 3%) and innovative models of care (n=7, 3%). CONCLUSION: Our study provides the first scoping review that presents and categorizes definitions, characteristics, contributing factors, and approaches to mitigate HWF issues in medical deserts. We identified gaps such as the scarcity of longitudinal studies to investigate the impact of factors contributing to medical deserts, and interventional studies to evaluate the effectiveness of approaches to mitigate HWF issues.

Has the COVID-19 Pandemic Led to Changes in the Tasks of the Primary Care Workforce? An International Survey among General Practices in 38 Countries (PRICOV-19).

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a large and varying impact on primary care. This paper studies changes in the tasks of general practitioners (GPs) and associated staff during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data from the PRICOV-19 study of 5093 GPs in 38 countries were used. We constructed a scale for task changes and performed multilevel analyses. The scale was reliable at both GP and country level. Clustering of task changes at country level was considerable (25%). During the pandemic, staff members were more involved in giving information and recommendations to patients contacting the practice by phone, and they were more involved in triage. GPs took on additional responsibilities and were more involved in reaching out to patients. Problems due to staff absence, when dealt with internally, were related to more task changes. Task changes were larger in practices employing a wider range of professional groups. Whilst GPs were happy with the task changes in practices with more changes, they also felt the need for further training. A higher-than-average proportion of elderly people and people with a chronic condition in the practice were related to task changes. The number of infections in a country during the first wave of the pandemic was related to task changes. Other characteristics at country level were not associated with task changes. Future research on the sustainability of task changes after the pandemic is needed.

Task shifting from general practitioners to practice assistants and nurses in primary care: a cross-sectional survey in 34 countries.

AIM: To describe variation in task shifting from GPs to practice assistants/nurses in 34 countries and to explain differences by analysing associations with characteristics of the GPs and their practices and features of the health care systems. BACKGROUND: Redistribution of tasks and responsibilities in primary care are driven by changes in demand, such as the growing number of patients with chronic conditions, and workforce developments, including staff shortage. The need to manage an expanding range of services has led to adaptations in the skill-mix of primary care teams. These developments are hampered by barriers between professional domains. METHODS: Data were collected between 2011 and 2013 through a cross-sectional survey among approximately 7,200 general practitioners (GPs) in 34 countries. Task shifting is measured through a composite score of GPs' self-reported shifting of tasks. Independent variables at GP and practice level are as follows: innovativeness; part-time working; availability of staff; location and population of the practice. Country-level independent variables are as follows: demand for and supply of care, nurse prescribing, and professionalisation of practice assistants/nurses. Multilevel analysis is used to account for clustering of GPs in countries. FINDINGS: Countries vary in the degree of task shifting. Regarding GP and practice characteristics, use of electronic health records and availability of support staff in the practice are positively associated with task shifting and GPs' working hours negatively, in line with our hypotheses. Age of the GPs is, contrary to our hypothesis, positively related to task shifting. These variables explain 11% of the variance at GP level. Two country variables are related to task shifting: a lower percentage of practices without support staff in a country and nurse prescribing rights coincide with more task shifting. The percentage of practices without support staff has the strongest relationship, explaining 73% of the country variation.

"Get Used to the Fact That Some of the Care Is Really Going to Take Place in a Different Way": General Practitioners' Experiences with E-Health during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The first outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic led to the introduction of the more extensive use of e-health in Dutch general practices. The objective of this study was to investigate the experiences of general practitioners (GPs) regarding this change. In addition, the necessary conditions for e-health technology to be of added value to general practices were explored. In April 2020, 30 GPs were recruited for in-depth interviews via a web survey which contained questions regarding the use of e-health during the first wave of the pandemic. While most GPs intend to keep using e-health applications more extensively than before the pandemic, the actual use of e-health depends on several factors, including the characteristics of the application's users. The following conditions for successful and sustainable implementation of e-health were identified: (1) integration of e-health technology in the organization of GP care, (2) sufficient user-friendliness of applications as well as digital skills of professionals and patients, and (3) adequate technological and financial support of e-health services. GPs clearly recognize the benefits of using e-health, and most GPs intend to keep using e-health applications more extensively than before the pandemic. However, improvements are needed to allow widespread and sustainable adoption of e-health technology in general practices.

Use of E-Health in Dutch General Practice during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced general practices to search for possibilities to provide healthcare remotely (e.g., e-health). In this study, the impact of the pandemic on the use of e-health in general practices in the Netherlands was investigated. In addition, the intention of practices to continue using e-health more intensively and differences in the use of e-health between practice types were investigated. For this purpose, web surveys were sent to general practices in April and July 2020. Descriptive data analysis was performed and differences in the use of e-health between practice types were tested using one-way ANOVA. Response rates were 34% (n = 1433) in April and 17% (n = 719) in July. The pandemic invoked an increased use of several (new) e-health applications. A minority of practices indicated the intention to maintain this increased use. In addition, small differences in the use of e-health between the different practice types were found. This study showed that although there was an increased uptake of e-health in Dutch general practice during the COVID-19 pandemic, only a minority of practices intends to maintain this increased use in the future. This may point towards a temporary uptake of digital healthcare delivery rather than accelerated implementation of digital processes.