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Acceptability of, and preferences for, remote consulting during COVID-19 among older patients with two common long-term musculoskeletal conditions: findings from three qualitative studies and recommendations for practice

Paskins, Zoe; Bullock, Laurna; Manning, Fay; Bishop, Simon; Campbell, Paul; Cottrell, Elizabeth; Partner, GP; Jinks, Clare; Narayanasamy, Melanie; Scott, Ian C.; Sahota, Opinder; Ryan, Sarah

Acceptability of, and preferences for, remote consulting during COVID-19 among older patients with two common long-term musculoskeletal conditions: findings from three qualitative studies and recommendations for practice Thumbnail


Authors

Fay Manning

Simon Bishop

Elizabeth Cottrell

GP Partner

Melanie Narayanasamy

Opinder Sahota

Sarah Ryan



Abstract

Background Guidance for choosing face-to-face vs remote consultations (RCs) encourages clinicians to consider patient preferences, however, little is known about acceptability of, and preferences for RCs, particularly amongst patients with musculoskeletal conditions. This study aimed to explore the acceptability of, and preferences for, RC among patients with osteoporosis and rheumatoid arthritis. Methods Three UK qualitative studies, exploring patient experiences of accessing and receiving healthcare, undertaken during the pandemic, with people with osteoporosis and rheumatoid arthritis. Study team members agreed a consistent approach to conduct rapid deductive analysis using the Theoretical Framework of Acceptability (TFA) on transcripts from each data set relating to RC, facilitated by group meetings to discuss interpretations. Findings from the three studies were pooled. Results Findings from 1 focus group and 64 interviews with 35 people were included in the analysis. Participants' attitudes to RC, views on fairness (ethicality) and sense-making (intervention coherence) varied according to their needs within the consultation and views of the pandemic. Some participants valued the reduced burden associated with RC, while others highly valued non-verbal communication and physical examination associated with face-to-face consults (opportunity costs). Some participants described low confidence (self-efficacy) in being able to communicate in RCs and others perceived RCs as ineffective, in part due to suboptimal communication. Conclusions Acceptability of, and preferences for RC appear to be influenced by societal, healthcare provider and personal factors and in this study, were not condition-dependant. Remote care by default has the potential to exacerbate health inequalities and needs nuanced implementation.

Citation

Paskins, Z., Bullock, L., Manning, F., Bishop, S., Campbell, P., Cottrell, E., …Ryan, S. (2022). Acceptability of, and preferences for, remote consulting during COVID-19 among older patients with two common long-term musculoskeletal conditions: findings from three qualitative studies and recommendations for practice. BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders, 23, Article 312. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12891-022-05273-1

Journal Article Type Article
Acceptance Date Mar 23, 2022
Online Publication Date Apr 2, 2022
Publication Date 2022-12
Journal BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders
Electronic ISSN 1471-2474
Publisher Springer Verlag
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 23
Article Number 312
DOI https://doi.org/10.1186/s12891-022-05273-1
Keywords Telemedicine; Remote consultation; Osteoporosis; Rheumatoid arthritis
Publisher URL https://bmcmusculoskeletdisord.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12891-022-05273-1#article-info