Telehealth‘s future in Australian primary health care: a qualitative study exploring lessons learnt from the COVID-19 pandemic
Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, telehealth emerged as a means of safely providing primary healthcare (PHC) consultations. In Australia, changes to telehealth funding led to the reconsideration of the role of telehealth in the ongoing provision of PHC services. Aim: To investigate GPs’, reg...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Royal College of General Practitioners
2023-06-01
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| Series: | BJGP Open |
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| Online Access: | https://bjgpopen.org/content/7/2/BJGPO.2022.0117 |
| _version_ | 1797787778998599680 |
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| author | Christine Ashley Anna Williams Sarah Dennis Susan McInnes Nicholas A Zwar Mark Morgan Elizabeth Halcomb |
| author_facet | Christine Ashley Anna Williams Sarah Dennis Susan McInnes Nicholas A Zwar Mark Morgan Elizabeth Halcomb |
| author_sort | Christine Ashley |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, telehealth emerged as a means of safely providing primary healthcare (PHC) consultations. In Australia, changes to telehealth funding led to the reconsideration of the role of telehealth in the ongoing provision of PHC services. Aim: To investigate GPs’, registered nurses‘ (RNs), nurse practitioners‘ (NPs), and allied health (AH) clinicians perceptions of the sustainability of telehealth in PHC post-pandemic. Design & setting: Semi-structured interviews were undertaken with 33 purposively selected clinicians, including GPs (n = 13), RNs (n = 5), NPs (n = 9), and AH clinicians (n = 6) working in PHC settings across Australia. Participants were drawn from responders to a national survey of PHC providers (n = 217). Method: The thematic analysis approach reported by Braun and Clarke was used to analyse the interview data. Results: Data analysis revealed that the perception of providers was represented by the following two themes: lessons learnt; and the sustainability of telehealth. Lessons learnt included the need for rapid adaptation to telehealth, use of technology, and the pandemic being a catalyst for long-term change. The sustainability of telehealth in PHC comprised four subthemes around challenges: the funding model, maintaining patient and provider safety, hybrid service models, and access to support. Conclusion: Providers required resilience and flexibility to adapt to telehealth. Funding models must reward providers from an outcome focus, rather than placing limits on telehealth’s use. Hybrid approaches to service delivery will best meet the needs of the community but must be accompanied by support and education for PHC professionals. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-13T01:26:42Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-e93b9541f9bb44e1b8753c4a20d95fde |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2398-3795 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-13T01:26:42Z |
| publishDate | 2023-06-01 |
| publisher | Royal College of General Practitioners |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BJGP Open |
| spelling | doaj.art-e93b9541f9bb44e1b8753c4a20d95fde2023-07-04T14:41:43ZengRoyal College of General PractitionersBJGP Open2398-37952023-06-017210.3399/BJGPO.2022.0117Telehealth‘s future in Australian primary health care: a qualitative study exploring lessons learnt from the COVID-19 pandemicChristine Ashley0Anna Williams1Sarah Dennis2Susan McInnes3Nicholas A Zwar4Mark Morgan5Elizabeth Halcomb6School of Nursing, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, AustraliaSchool of Nursing and Midwifery, Western Sydney University, Sydney, AustraliaSydney School of Health Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, AustraliaSchool of Nursing, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, AustraliaFaculty of Health Sciences and Medicine, Bond University, Robina, AustraliaFaculty of Health Sciences and Medicine, Bond University, Robina, AustraliaSchool of Nursing, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, AustraliaBackground: During the COVID-19 pandemic, telehealth emerged as a means of safely providing primary healthcare (PHC) consultations. In Australia, changes to telehealth funding led to the reconsideration of the role of telehealth in the ongoing provision of PHC services. Aim: To investigate GPs’, registered nurses‘ (RNs), nurse practitioners‘ (NPs), and allied health (AH) clinicians perceptions of the sustainability of telehealth in PHC post-pandemic. Design & setting: Semi-structured interviews were undertaken with 33 purposively selected clinicians, including GPs (n = 13), RNs (n = 5), NPs (n = 9), and AH clinicians (n = 6) working in PHC settings across Australia. Participants were drawn from responders to a national survey of PHC providers (n = 217). Method: The thematic analysis approach reported by Braun and Clarke was used to analyse the interview data. Results: Data analysis revealed that the perception of providers was represented by the following two themes: lessons learnt; and the sustainability of telehealth. Lessons learnt included the need for rapid adaptation to telehealth, use of technology, and the pandemic being a catalyst for long-term change. The sustainability of telehealth in PHC comprised four subthemes around challenges: the funding model, maintaining patient and provider safety, hybrid service models, and access to support. Conclusion: Providers required resilience and flexibility to adapt to telehealth. Funding models must reward providers from an outcome focus, rather than placing limits on telehealth’s use. Hybrid approaches to service delivery will best meet the needs of the community but must be accompanied by support and education for PHC professionals.https://bjgpopen.org/content/7/2/BJGPO.2022.0117telemedicineprimary health caresustainabilityqualitative research |
| spellingShingle | Christine Ashley Anna Williams Sarah Dennis Susan McInnes Nicholas A Zwar Mark Morgan Elizabeth Halcomb Telehealth‘s future in Australian primary health care: a qualitative study exploring lessons learnt from the COVID-19 pandemic BJGP Open telemedicine primary health care sustainability qualitative research |
| title | Telehealth‘s future in Australian primary health care: a qualitative study exploring lessons learnt from the COVID-19 pandemic |
| title_full | Telehealth‘s future in Australian primary health care: a qualitative study exploring lessons learnt from the COVID-19 pandemic |
| title_fullStr | Telehealth‘s future in Australian primary health care: a qualitative study exploring lessons learnt from the COVID-19 pandemic |
| title_full_unstemmed | Telehealth‘s future in Australian primary health care: a qualitative study exploring lessons learnt from the COVID-19 pandemic |
| title_short | Telehealth‘s future in Australian primary health care: a qualitative study exploring lessons learnt from the COVID-19 pandemic |
| title_sort | telehealth s future in australian primary health care a qualitative study exploring lessons learnt from the covid 19 pandemic |
| topic | telemedicine primary health care sustainability qualitative research |
| url | https://bjgpopen.org/content/7/2/BJGPO.2022.0117 |
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