Kirk Ulrik Bak, Pellin Maria de la Cruz Gomez, Hoffmann Kathryn, Stummer Florian Odilo, Van Poel Esther, Vestergaard Claus Høstrup, Holm Anne, Tatsioni Athina, Petrazzuoli Ferdinando, Neves Ana Luisa, Bravo Raquel Gomez, Asenova Radost, Mallen Christian, Bojaj Gazmend, Rochfort Andree, Bussche Pierre Vanden, Collins Claire, Willems Sara, Bro Flemming, Rohrbasser Adrian, Huibers Linda
Department of Public Health, Aarhus University, Aarhus, 8000, Denmark.
Research Unit for General Practice, Aarhus, 8000, Denmark.
BMC Prim Care. 2025 Jul 2;26(1):205. doi: 10.1186/s12875-025-02892-0.
The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the use of telemedicine, specifically video consultations as they provide healthcare access in challenging situations where face-to-face encounters are not possible. Nevertheless, it remains largely unknown to what extent the organisation of general practice and national digital infrastructures have impacted the uptake and use of video consultations.
This study examined the variation in use of video consultations in general practice across Europe during the COVID-19 pandemic and explored associations with practice- and country-level characteristics.
This study is part of the international PRICOV-19 project, using data from an online survey and additional questions from national leads. First, we conducted a rapid literature search to support an evidence-based selection of the PRICOV-19 main survey items and additional questions aligned with our aims. Then, we included five practice-level and nine country-level characteristics, as well as COVID-19 intensity characteristics, as independent variables in the analysis. Finally, we conducted a linear mixed model analysis at the country-level, examining five models incrementally within a one-level random intercept regression model.
Data from 5,065 general practices in 38 countries revealed that fewer than half (47.5%) utilized video consultations during the COVID-19 pandemic. Usage was highest in the United Kingdom, Luxembourg, Scandinavia, and France (82.6-94.4%) and the lowest in Portugal, Spain, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Switzerland, and the Czech Republic (11.1-23.1%). At practice-level, key factors associated with higher usage included having more patients than average with a history of migration and difficulty speaking the local language, being a self-employed general practitioner, having a higher number of registered patients, and being urban-based. At country level, only accessible and affordable internet was statistically significantly associated with use of video consultations.
The study corroborates some established trends in telemedicine adoption while also providing new insights into specific practice-level factors that facilitated the use of video consultations in general practice across European countries during COVID-19. While some factors are universally influential, particularly internet access and affordability, others are more context-dependent.
Not applicable.
新冠疫情加速了远程医疗的使用，特别是视频会诊，因为在无法进行面对面诊疗的具有挑战性的情况下，视频会诊能提供医疗服务。然而，全科医疗的组织方式和国家数字基础设施在多大程度上影响了视频会诊的采用和使用，在很大程度上仍然未知。
本研究调查了新冠疫情期间欧洲全科医疗中视频会诊使用情况的差异，并探讨了其与诊所层面和国家层面特征的关联。
本研究是国际PRICOV-19项目的一部分，使用了在线调查数据以及来自各国负责人的补充问题。首先，我们进行了快速文献检索，以支持基于证据选择PRICOV-19主要调查项目以及与我们的目标一致的补充问题。然后，我们将五个诊所层面和九个国家层面的特征，以及新冠疫情强度特征作为分析中的自变量。最后，我们在国家层面进行了线性混合模型分析，在一级随机截距回归模型中逐步检验五个模型。
来自38个国家的5065家全科诊所的数据显示，在新冠疫情期间，使用视频会诊的诊所不到一半（47.5%）。英国、卢森堡、斯堪的纳维亚半岛和法国的使用率最高（82.6%-94.4%），而葡萄牙、西班牙、塞尔维亚、波斯尼亚和黑塞哥维那、瑞士以及捷克共和国的使用率最低（11.1%-23.1%）。在诊所层面，与较高使用率相关的关键因素包括有比平均水平更多的有移民史和当地语言沟通困难的患者；全科医生为个体经营者；注册患者数量较多；以及位于城市地区。在国家层面，只有可及且负担得起的互联网与视频会诊的使用在统计学上有显著关联。
该研究证实了远程医疗采用方面的一些既定趋势，同时也为新冠疫情期间欧洲各国全科医疗中促进视频会诊使用的特定诊所层面因素提供了新见解。虽然有些因素具有普遍影响力，特别是互联网接入和可负担性，但其他因素则更依赖于具体情况。
不适用。
