Exploring patient participation during video consultations: A qualitative study

Area of Science:

• Digital Health
• Telemedicine
• Patient-Provider Communication

Background:

• Video consultations are increasingly used for remote patient-provider interactions.
• While patient experiences are studied, explicit research on patient participation in video consultations is limited.
• This study focuses on how patients actively engage during general practitioner video consultations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore patient participation within video consultations with general practitioners.
• To identify how the unique characteristics of video consultations facilitate patient engagement.
• To understand the novel forms of participation enabled by this digital healthcare format.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative study analyzing eight recorded general practitioner video consultations.
• Utilized reflexive thematic analysis to identify patterns in patient participation.
• Focused on the affordances and specific use cases within the video consultation setting.

Main Results:

• Video consultations provide accessible healthcare for patients facing physical or mental barriers.
• Patients leverage their physical environment and available resources to address health concerns during consultations.
• Patients use visual cues and smartphone features to demonstrate engagement in decision-making and reporting.

Conclusions:

• Video consultations enable distinct forms of patient participation through technologically contingent affordances.
• Further research is needed to explore participatory opportunities across diverse patient groups in telemedical services.
• Findings highlight the potential of video consultations to enhance patient engagement in primary care.