Patients' Experiences of Healthcare Professionals' Competence in Digital Counselling in Healthcare Settings-A Qualitative Systematic Review.
Juulia Kaihlaniemi, Petra Suonnansalo, Maria Kääriäinen and 5 others
PMID 39651687WHAT IT FOUND
Patients value therapists who master the technology, troubleshoot glitches quickly, and maintain a warm, unhurried connection.
They prefer clear, personalized instructions for self-care and dislike feeling rushed or ignored by a professional who is struggling with the video link.
Key findings
01Patients identified three core competencies: providing efficient digital support, supporting self-management, and establishing a reciprocal relationship.
02Technical fluency is critical; patients need therapists who can troubleshoot connection issues or switch platforms without disrupting the session.
03A comfortable atmosphere requires social presence, active listening, and an undisturbed physical environment on the therapist's end.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The search was limited to studies published in Finnish, Swedish, and English. Most included studies were conducted in Western countries, which may limit generalizability to other cultural contexts. The review focused on qualitative studies, so results should be interpreted with caution regarding generalization.
Declared interests
The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret this as evidence that digital counselling produces better clinical outcomes than face-to-face care. The review reports patient perceptions of competence, not efficacy data.