Patients’ and professionals’ experiences with remote care during COVID-19: a qualitative study

Abstract Background There are concerns about access to remote care for patients from low-income neighborhoods, as their first point of contact in Dutch health care is the general practitioner (GP). Now that general practice professionals have returned to the pre-pandemic ways of health care delivery, this paper looks back at experiences with remote care during COVID-19. It investigates experiences of both patients and general practice professionals with the approachability and appropriateness of remote care, and their satisfaction. Methods In this qualitative study, interviews were conducted with 78 patients and 18 GPs, 7 nurse practitioners and 6 mental health professionals from general practices in low-income neighborhoods. Interviews took place by phone or in person in the native language of participants. Results Patients from low-income neighborhoods generally found remote care to be approachable, especially telephone consultation. In contrast, video calling was rarely used. Most patients thought remote care was possible for minor ailments but still wanted to see the doctor face-to-face regularly. Patients were generally satisfied with remote care at the time, but this did not necessarily reflect their willingness to continue using it in the future. Moreover, there was lack in consensus among general practice professionals on the appropriateness of remote care for certain physical and mental complaints. Nurse practitioners and mental health professionals had a negative attitude toward remote care. Conclusions Integrating remote care in general practices in low-income neighborhoods is not only important in times of crisis, but also for the future where care is becoming increasingly digitalized. To achieve full integration of remote care in general practices, it is important to take opinions and barriers of patients and providers into account. It is also recommended to create guidelines for reaching consensus on the cases in which remote care can be appropriately used. Key messages • Take opinions and barriers regarding remote care of GP patients and providers into account. • Create guidelines to reach consensus on the appropriate use of remote care for GP patients’ health problems.