JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

At the beginning of the global COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare systems adjusted how they delivered care overnight. Primary care practices switched from in-person to telehealth visits. The transition to digital practices was challenging because of a lack of established standards of care for virtual visits.

Objective:

This study aims to analyze family medicine providers’ experiences using virtual visits during the pandemic, perceived outcomes of the shift to telemedicine, and its implications for the future of medicine.

Methods:

This qualitative study took place in an academic primary care setting between June and December 2020. Data was collected through one-on-one interviews with providers who experienced the rapid transition of “in-person” to mostly “virtual” visits. The interviews were recorded, de-identified, and transcribed. We used qualitative content analysis to evaluate the results of the interviews.

Results:

The study included a total of 20 participants. The mean age was 43.4 years, and 80% of participants were female. We identified three main themes, “the care process”, “patient engagement”, and “team-based care”. Many challenges arose from the inability to perform physical tasks. However, participants cited increased ability to coordinate with other providers and family members of the patient, increased scheduling flexibility, and increased patient adherence to treatment plans as some benefits of virtual care. Patient engagement primarily posed challenges related to body language and non-verbal cue expression. Providers felt this affected their ability to build rapport in emotionally challenging situations. Providers only identified opportunities for strengthening team-based care through increased flexibility and collaboration.

Conclusions:

Virtual care has entirely changed how medicine is delivered, practiced, and taught. Our study demonstrates the vast potential to improve the delivery of care, quality of care, and patient satisfaction in the virtual environment. As a result, a hybrid model of care delivery is emerging.