Video consultation in general practice during COVID-19: a register-based study in Denmark

TY - JOUR

T1 - Video consultation in general practice during COVID-19

T2 - a register-based study in Denmark

AU - Kirk, Ulrik Bak

AU - Høstrup Vestergaard, Claus

AU - Bech, Bodil Hammer

AU - Bondo Christensen, Morten

AU - Kallestrup, Per

AU - Huibers, Linda

PY - 2024/7

Y1 - 2024/7

N2 - Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, general practices in Denmark rapidly introduced video consultations (VCs) to prevent viral transmission. Aim: To study the use of VCs in daytime general practice by describing the rate of VCs, and the patient characteristics associated with having VCs. Design & setting: Register-based study of consultations in daytime general practice in Denmark. Method: We included all consultations in daytime general practice from 1 January 2019–30 November 2021. We calculated the rate of video use and categorised the general practices into no, low, and high use. Logistic regression was used to calculate adjusted odds ratios (aOR) for having a VC for different patient characteristics when contacting a video-using practice, stratified for low- and high-using practices. Results: A total of 30 148 478 eligible consultations were conducted during the pandemic period. VCs were used mostly during the early stage pandemic period, declining to about 2% of all clinic consultations in the late-stage period. Patients having more VCs were young, had a long education, were employed, and lived in big cities. In low-using practices, native Danes and ‘western’ immigrants had higher odds of receiving a VC than ‘non-western’ immigrants, and patients with ≥2 comorbidities had lower odds than those without comorbidities. Conclusion: Patients of a younger age, with long education, or employment had higher odds of receiving a VC, while patients of an older age and patients who had retired had lower odds. This difference in the access to VCs warrants further attention.

AB - Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, general practices in Denmark rapidly introduced video consultations (VCs) to prevent viral transmission. Aim: To study the use of VCs in daytime general practice by describing the rate of VCs, and the patient characteristics associated with having VCs. Design & setting: Register-based study of consultations in daytime general practice in Denmark. Method: We included all consultations in daytime general practice from 1 January 2019–30 November 2021. We calculated the rate of video use and categorised the general practices into no, low, and high use. Logistic regression was used to calculate adjusted odds ratios (aOR) for having a VC for different patient characteristics when contacting a video-using practice, stratified for low- and high-using practices. Results: A total of 30 148 478 eligible consultations were conducted during the pandemic period. VCs were used mostly during the early stage pandemic period, declining to about 2% of all clinic consultations in the late-stage period. Patients having more VCs were young, had a long education, were employed, and lived in big cities. In low-using practices, native Danes and ‘western’ immigrants had higher odds of receiving a VC than ‘non-western’ immigrants, and patients with ≥2 comorbidities had lower odds than those without comorbidities. Conclusion: Patients of a younger age, with long education, or employment had higher odds of receiving a VC, while patients of an older age and patients who had retired had lower odds. This difference in the access to VCs warrants further attention.

KW - COVID-19

KW - general practitioners

KW - primary healthcare

KW - remote consultation

KW - telemedicine

KW - video consultations

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85200566348&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.3399/BJGPO.2023.0208

DO - 10.3399/BJGPO.2023.0208

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 38191187

SN - 2398-3795

VL - 8

SP - 1

EP - 11

JO - BJGP Open

JF - BJGP Open

IS - 2

M1 - BJGPO.2023.0208

ER -