Implementing virtual primary care: experiences, perspectives and identification of improvement opportunities in an academic primary care setting.

Publication date: Aug 07, 2024

One of the biggest changes to primary care triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic was the rapid integration of virtual care (VC). VC offers benefits to patients and providers but implementation presents challenges. This study is a secondary analysis of a 2021 quality improvement (QI) driven environmental scan comprising a survey and 1:1 interviews, at the Department of Family and Community Medicine at the University of Toronto. The scan aimed to understand the current and desired future use of VC at the 14 sites. The survey was completed by all sites between July and October 2021 and 1:1 interviews were conducted between October and November 2021 with 12 of the 14 site/QI leads. VC was seen as convenient and flexible, and as enabling continuity of care for patients who could not easily attend in-person. Factors enabling implementation of VC included leadership at both the system and local level; a shared understanding of VC on the part of providers, patients and clinical staff; and technological and administrative readiness. Challenges included the need for triage algorithms; incongruent expectations of VC by patients and providers; technology issues; increased administrative burden; and impacts on medical education. All anticipated that some degree of VC would continue in future. VC offered benefits but it also impacted clinical routines and administrative processes creating new forms of work for clinicians and staff. Patient education is needed to ensure that their expectations of VC align with those of providers. Research and QI efforts are required to optimise the use of VC in primary care.

Concepts Keywords
Clinicians COVID-19
Environmental General practice
Future Health services research
Pandemic Humans
Toronto Ontario
Pandemics
Primary care
Primary Health Care
Quality Improvement
SARS-CoV-2
Surveys and Questionnaires
Telemedicine

Semantics

Type Source Name
disease MESH COVID-19 pandemic
disease IDO quality
disease IDO site
drug DRUGBANK Etoperidone

Original Article

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