Researchers at the University of Cambridge have conducted a survey on clinicians and patients providing insight into patient and doctor perception of remote appointments. The university surveyed almost 1,500 rheumatology patients, GPs and clinicians between April and July 2021 and found that remote consultations were more convenient, but less diagnostically accurate than in-person appointments, and that virtual appointments “increased the risk of misdiagnosis and barriers to care”.
93% of clinicians felt that remote medicine was worse than in-person consultations in terms of accuracy, and some said that it risked increasing health inequalities and barriers to accessing appropriate care – damaging for groups including the elderly, poor, and disabled.
One rheumatology patient told the university, “My rheumatologist cannot see or hear how I move, look at my skin, eyes, hair, hands, bones, how I am. I was diagnosed with something over the phone, which I know isn’t right, and it’s getting worse.”
Between April 2021 and July 2021, 1340 patients and 111 clinicians completed online surveys. The team also carried out in-depth interviews with 31 patients and clinicians, studying the way phone and video consultations had impacted care on patients with conditions such as arthritis or lupus.
86% of patients rated phone and video appointments worse than face-to-face for accuracy of diagnosis. Clinicians and patients also felt that virtual consultations were “worse” for “building a trusting relationship.” Almost 70% of patients agreed.
More than 60% of clinicians and patients surveyed felt that virtual appointments were more convenient than face-to-face consultations. The benefits of online consultations include COVID safety, reduced travelling, and shorter waiting times. However, the study suggests that around half of all patients felt they would not receive a quick response when seriously ill, due to obstacles such as systems not yet equipped to deal with sudden shifts in medicine toward heavy online reliance.
