A qualitative investigation into the results of a discrete choice experiment and the impact of COVID-19 on patient preferences for virtual consultations.
Anthony W Gilbert, Carl R May, Hazel Brown and 2 others
PMID 34488898WHAT IT FOUND
Patients chose virtual orthopaedic rehabilitation when travel, pain, cost or COVID risk made face-to-face hard.
They still wanted in-person first assessments, complex or painful symptoms, and trusted therapist relationships.
Key findings
01Patients were more likely to prefer a virtual consultation when travel, pain, cost or COVID-19 risk made face-to-face attendance difficult.
02Face-to-face appointments were generally preferred for first assessments, new or complex problems, and when physical examination or exercise technique needed checking.
03Trust and familiarity with the therapist made virtual care more acceptable, while lack of rapport, distraction or discomfort with screens pushed patients toward face-to-face care.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
Only 13 participants were interviewed, so these are preferences from a small group, not a pattern that proves virtual consultations work. Of eligible participants, 68% did not respond to recruitment emails, so the people who took part may differ from those who did not. The study was done in one specialist orthopaedic hospital, so it may not apply to other services or conditions. The interview framework was based on a previous discrete choice experiment, so it may have missed other reasons for preference. The earlier experiment was terminated prematurely, so the context for selecting preferences was incomplete. Participants were asked during the pandemic, so stated preferences may reflect temporary risk concerns rather than lasting choices.
Declared interests
The funder is named as the National Institute for Health Research. The supplied text does not include an author conflict-of-interest declaration.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read these themes as proof that virtual consultations improve outcomes or should replace face-to-face care. They describe preferences from 13 people in one orthopaedic hospital, and many wanted face-to-face first assessments or complex problems.