General practice trainees' telehealth use during the COVID-19 pandemic: a cross-sectional study.

education family practice general practice graduate medical telemedicine

Journal

Family practice
ISSN: 1460-2229
Titre abrégé: Fam Pract
Pays: England
ID NLM: 8500875

Informations de publication

Date de publication:
07 Mar 2023
Historique:
entrez: 7 3 2023
pubmed: 8 3 2023
medline: 8 3 2023
Statut: aheadofprint

Résumé

Prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic, remuneration was introduced for Australian general practice telehealth consultations. General practitioner (GP) trainees' telehealth use is of clinical, educational, and policy importance. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence and associations of telehealth versus face-to-face consultations amongst Australian GP registrars (vocational GP trainees). Cross-sectional analysis of data from the Registrar Clinical Encounters in Training (ReCEnT) study, from 2020 to 2021 (three 6-month terms), including registrars in 3 of Australia's 9 Regional Training Organisations. In ReCEnT, GP registrars record details of 60 consecutive consultations, 6 monthly. The primary analysis used univariate and multivariable logistic regression, with outcome of whether the consultation was conducted via telehealth (phone and videoconference) or face-to-face. 1,168 registrars recorded details of 102,286 consultations, of which 21.4% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 21.1%-21.6%) were conducted via telehealth. Statistically significant associations of a telehealth consultation included shorter consultation duration (odds ratio [OR] 0.93, 95% CI: 0.93-0.94; and mean 12.9 versus 18.7 min); fewer problems addressed per consultation (OR 0.92, 95% CI: 0.87-0.97); being less likely to seek assistance from a supervisor (OR 0.86, 95% CI: 0.76-0.96) while being more likely to generate learning goals (OR 1.18, 95% CI: 1.02-1.37); and being more likely to arrange a follow-up consultation (OR 1.18, 95% CI: 1.02-1.35). That telehealth consultations were shorter, with higher rates of follow-up, has GP workforce/workload implications. That telehealth consultations were less likely to involve in-consultation supervisor support, but more likely to generate learning goals, has educational implications.

Sections du résumé

BACKGROUND BACKGROUND
Prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic, remuneration was introduced for Australian general practice telehealth consultations. General practitioner (GP) trainees' telehealth use is of clinical, educational, and policy importance. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence and associations of telehealth versus face-to-face consultations amongst Australian GP registrars (vocational GP trainees).
METHODS METHODS
Cross-sectional analysis of data from the Registrar Clinical Encounters in Training (ReCEnT) study, from 2020 to 2021 (three 6-month terms), including registrars in 3 of Australia's 9 Regional Training Organisations. In ReCEnT, GP registrars record details of 60 consecutive consultations, 6 monthly. The primary analysis used univariate and multivariable logistic regression, with outcome of whether the consultation was conducted via telehealth (phone and videoconference) or face-to-face.
RESULTS RESULTS
1,168 registrars recorded details of 102,286 consultations, of which 21.4% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 21.1%-21.6%) were conducted via telehealth. Statistically significant associations of a telehealth consultation included shorter consultation duration (odds ratio [OR] 0.93, 95% CI: 0.93-0.94; and mean 12.9 versus 18.7 min); fewer problems addressed per consultation (OR 0.92, 95% CI: 0.87-0.97); being less likely to seek assistance from a supervisor (OR 0.86, 95% CI: 0.76-0.96) while being more likely to generate learning goals (OR 1.18, 95% CI: 1.02-1.37); and being more likely to arrange a follow-up consultation (OR 1.18, 95% CI: 1.02-1.35).
CONCLUSIONS CONCLUSIONS
That telehealth consultations were shorter, with higher rates of follow-up, has GP workforce/workload implications. That telehealth consultations were less likely to involve in-consultation supervisor support, but more likely to generate learning goals, has educational implications.

Identifiants

pubmed: 36882013
pii: 7071629
doi: 10.1093/fampra/cmad022
pii:
doi:

Types de publication

Journal Article

Langues

eng

Sous-ensembles de citation

IM

Subventions

Organisme : The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners
Organisme : Australian Government
Organisme : RACGP Foundation
ID : CBW2021-01
Organisme : Australian Department of Health

Informations de copyright

© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press.

Auteurs

Katie Fisher (K)

University of Newcastle, School of Medicine and Public Health, University Drive, Callaghan, NSW, Australia.
GP Synergy, Regional Training Organisation, NSW & ACT Research and Evaluation Unit, 20 McIntosh Drive, Mayfield West, NSW, Australia.

Amanda Tapley (A)

University of Newcastle, School of Medicine and Public Health, University Drive, Callaghan, NSW, Australia.
GP Synergy, Regional Training Organisation, NSW & ACT Research and Evaluation Unit, 20 McIntosh Drive, Mayfield West, NSW, Australia.

Anna Ralston (A)

University of Newcastle, School of Medicine and Public Health, University Drive, Callaghan, NSW, Australia.
GP Synergy, Regional Training Organisation, NSW & ACT Research and Evaluation Unit, 20 McIntosh Drive, Mayfield West, NSW, Australia.

Andrew Davey (A)

University of Newcastle, School of Medicine and Public Health, University Drive, Callaghan, NSW, Australia.
GP Synergy, Regional Training Organisation, NSW & ACT Research and Evaluation Unit, 20 McIntosh Drive, Mayfield West, NSW, Australia.

Alison Fielding (A)

University of Newcastle, School of Medicine and Public Health, University Drive, Callaghan, NSW, Australia.
GP Synergy, Regional Training Organisation, NSW & ACT Research and Evaluation Unit, 20 McIntosh Drive, Mayfield West, NSW, Australia.

Mieke van Driel (M)

University of Queensland, Faculty of Medicine, General Practice Clinical Unit, Level 8 Health Sciences Building, Royal Brisbane & Women's Hospital, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.

Elizabeth Holliday (E)

University of Newcastle, School of Medicine and Public Health, University Drive, Callaghan, NSW, Australia.

Jean Ball (J)

Hunter Medical Research Institute, Clinical Research Design, IT and Statistical Support Unit (CReDITSS), New Lambton Heights, NSW, Australia.

Jason Dizon (J)

Hunter Medical Research Institute, Clinical Research Design, IT and Statistical Support Unit (CReDITSS), New Lambton Heights, NSW, Australia.

Neil Spike (N)

Eastern Victoria General Practice Training, Regional Training Organisation, Hawthorn, VIC, Australia.
University of Melbourne, Department of General Practice and Primary Health Care, Berkeley Street, Carlton, VIC, Australia.
Monash University, School of Rural Health, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Clayton, VIC, Australia.

Lisa Clarke (L)

General Practice Training Tasmania, Regional Training Organisation, Hobart, TAS, Australia.

Parker Magin (P)

University of Newcastle, School of Medicine and Public Health, University Drive, Callaghan, NSW, Australia.
GP Synergy, Regional Training Organisation, NSW & ACT Research and Evaluation Unit, 20 McIntosh Drive, Mayfield West, NSW, Australia.

Classifications MeSH