Halas Gayle, Baldwin Alanna, Mackay Kerri, Cardenas Ernesto, LaBine Lisa, Cherrett Phyllis, Abraham Linda, Fogarty Vivianne, Singer Alexander, Katz Alan, Kirby Sarah
Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada.
Community Partner, Winnipeg, Canada.
Digit Health. 2024 Feb 25;10:20552076241232949. doi: 10.1177/20552076241232949. eCollection 2024 Jan-Dec.
This study explored patient and caregiver expectations and experiences of virtual primary care in Manitoba, Canada. This study focused on accessibility of care, acceptability and perceptions of quality from 'users' of primary healthcare services. Due to the rapid implementation of virtual primary care during the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada, patient/public input was largely bypassed.
A mixed method was conducted in collaboration with Patient and Caregiver Community Advisors. Data was obtained from 696 surveys and 9 focus groups (n = 41 patients and caregivers).
Data suggest good acceptance of virtual visits, although considered a new experience despite almost exclusive use of the telephone. Participants preferred more input for choosing the type of visit but experienced less stress, time and inconvenience by using virtual care. There were mixed opinions of quality. More complex visits were associated with incomplete consultations and serve as one exemplar of the limitations due to lack of physical presence or contact. Unique communication skills were required to convey health concerns adequately and accurately. A more transactional approach was perceived from the lack of visual cues and the awkwardness associated with pauses during the phone conversation. Virtual care may be better used for certain circumstances but should encompass patient-centred decision making for when and how. Many expressed interests in video options; technology access and user ability are additional considerations for advancing virtual care.
The experiences and recommendations from patients and caregivers provide an important contribution to decision-making and integrating and sustaining quality virtual care for patient-centered healthcare service delivery. Keywords: Virtual care experiences, primary care, patient-oriented research, mixed methods, COVID-19.
本研究探讨了加拿大曼尼托巴省患者及护理人员对虚拟初级保健的期望与体验。本研究聚焦于初级医疗服务“使用者”对医疗可及性、可接受性及质量认知。由于加拿大在新冠疫情期间迅速推行虚拟初级保健，患者/公众的意见在很大程度上被忽视。
与患者及护理人员社区顾问合作开展了一项混合方法研究。数据来自696份调查问卷和9个焦点小组（41名患者及护理人员）。
数据表明虚拟就诊得到了较好的接受，尽管几乎完全通过电话进行，但仍被视为一种新体验。参与者希望在选择就诊类型时有更多参与，但使用虚拟护理时压力、时间和不便更少。对质量的看法不一。更复杂的就诊与咨询不完整相关，这是因缺乏面对面接触所导致局限性的一个例子。需要独特的沟通技巧来充分且准确地传达健康问题。由于缺乏视觉线索以及电话交谈中停顿带来的尴尬，人们感觉采用了一种更具事务性的方式。虚拟护理在某些情况下可能更适用，但应纳入以患者为中心的关于何时及如何使用的决策。许多人对视频选项表示感兴趣；技术获取和用户能力是推进虚拟护理的其他考虑因素。
患者及护理人员的体验和建议为以患者为中心的医疗服务提供中决策、整合及维持高质量虚拟护理做出了重要贡献。关键词：虚拟护理体验、初级保健、以患者为导向的研究、混合方法、新冠疫情
