Perceived barriers and facilitators for using video consultations in a surgical outpatient clinic – A qualitative study among clinicians with limited prior experience

• Clinicians find video consultations time-saving and more comforting for the patient • Seeing the patient and screen-sharing is an advantage vs. telephone consultations • Clinicians fear technology issues when using video consultations • Clinicians find it difficult to choose the right type of consultation • The lack of ability to do clinical assessments worries the clinicians : Accelerated use of telehealth, including video consultations, is a highly relevant topic in healthcare worldwide. While video consultations offer potential benefits, clinicians remain reluctant to use them. Clinicians’ perspectives might affect the implementation of video consultations, however, research investigating clinicians’ perspectives is limited in surgical settings. This study aimed to investigate clinicians’ perspectives on barriers and facilitators for using video consultations in a surgical outpatient clinic among clinicians with limited prior experience with video consultations. : A qualitative study was conducted through three focus groups with thirteen nurses and seven physicians. The focus groups were based on dilemma games, using a semi-structured interview guide based on a contextual case to give participants different roles to reflect upon. Data were analyzed by systematic text condensation. : Clinicians identified several barriers, including fear of failing technology, limited ability to conduct clinical assessments or to care for the patient, and difficulty in choosing the right consultation type. On the other hand, facilitators included time savings for patients and relatives, increased patient comfort, and advantages of video consultations over telephone consultations, including the ability to observe non-verbal cues during communication and the option to illustrate or screen-share. : The study identifies barriers and facilitators concerning video consultations in a surgical outpatient setting among clinicians with limited experience with video consultations. Identifying barriers and facilitators can possibly reduce potential resistance from clinicians, ensuring a better application of video consultations. Clinicians proposed initiatives to ease implementation, including adequate introduction, ‘How-to’ guides, and help from others.