Clancy Georgia, Evans Kerry, Spiby Helen, Barrett Victoria, Sunney Candice, Evans Catrin
School of Health Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom.
Nottingham Maternity Research Network, Nottingham, United Kingdom.
PLOS Digit Health. 2025 Jul 21;4(7):e0000944. doi: 10.1371/journal.pdig.0000944. eCollection 2025 Jul.
Many areas of healthcare are exploring the use of digital technologies with the aim of improving and expanding care to service users. In England, maternity care is currently undergoing a digital transformation in line with the National Health Service's (NHS) Long Term Plan, which seeks to enhance care delivery and accessibility through digital tools. However, there is a lack of data on the current use and practice of digital consultations across the country. This project aimed to map and explore how digital clinical consultations are currently being used by NHS maternity care services in England. An online survey was designed to capture data on current practice, guidance and procedures to address potential inequalities. The survey was distributed to each NHS Trust (n = 121) that provides maternity care (specifically to senior maternity care professionals and digital maternity leaders who could provide an overview of how digital consultations were being used where they worked). The survey was open between January and March 2024. 53 completed surveys were received representing 39 different organisations (32% of those currently providing maternity care in England). Quantitative summary statistics indicated that telephone consultations were the most commonly used digital modality across all stages of the maternity care pathway. Thematic analysis identified barriers such as a lack of staff consultation and lack of staff training on the use of digital consultations. It was uncommon for women to be asked about their consultation preferences or assessed for individual needs. In conclusion, the findings reveal significant variation in the use of digital consultations, highlighting a gap between policy intentions and practice. Key areas for improvement in the delivery and implementation of digital consultations include staff training, systems to record women's consultation preferences/needs, and more research to support digital inclusion. The findings of this survey have the potential to have applications beyond maternity care and in different geographical contexts.
医疗保健的许多领域都在探索数字技术的应用，旨在改善和扩大对服务用户的护理。在英国，产科护理目前正根据国民保健制度（NHS）的长期计划进行数字化转型，该计划旨在通过数字工具提高护理服务的提供和可及性。然而，目前缺乏关于全国范围内数字咨询的使用和实践的数据。该项目旨在绘制并探索英国NHS产科护理服务目前如何使用数字临床咨询。设计了一项在线调查，以收集有关当前实践、指导和程序的数据，以解决潜在的不平等问题。该调查分发给了每个提供产科护理的NHS信托机构（n = 121）（具体面向高级产科护理专业人员和数字产科负责人，他们可以概述其工作场所数字咨询的使用情况）。调查于2024年1月至3月开放。共收到53份完整的调查问卷，代表39个不同的组织（占目前在英国提供产科护理组织的32%）。定量汇总统计表明，电话咨询是产科护理路径所有阶段最常用的数字方式。主题分析确定了一些障碍，如缺乏工作人员咨询以及缺乏关于数字咨询使用的工作人员培训。很少询问女性的咨询偏好或评估其个人需求。总之，研究结果揭示了数字咨询使用方面的显著差异，凸显了政策意图与实践之间的差距。数字咨询的提供和实施方面需要改进的关键领域包括工作人员培训、记录女性咨询偏好/需求的系统，以及更多支持数字包容的研究。这项调查的结果有可能在产科护理之外的领域以及不同地理环境中得到应用。
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