Patient Preferences for In-Person vs Remote Care for Long-Term Conditions.

Area of Science:

• Health Services Research
• Digital Health
• Patient Care

Background:

• Healthcare systems face increasing strain from long-term conditions (LTCs) and workforce shortages.
• Optimizing remote care is crucial for timely follow-up and alleviating pressure on in-person services.

Purpose of the Study:

• Assess remote modality availability and use by patients with LTCs for physician interaction.
• Determine patient preferences for in-person versus remote consultations across various scenarios.
• Evaluate patient willingness to substitute in-person appointments for earlier remote consultations with different physicians.

Main Methods:

• A survey study conducted in France from April to August 2024.
• Recruited adult patients with at least one LTC from a nationwide e-cohort.
• Utilized a weighted dataset calibrated on national survey data for representative estimates.

Main Results:

• 47% of patients reported no available remote communication modalities with their referring physician.
• Up to 55% preferred remote consultations, particularly for medication renewal (55%) and results discussion (43%).
• Up to 51% were willing to trade a 20-day in-person appointment for a 5-day remote consultation with a different physician.

Conclusions:

• Patients with LTCs experience limited access to remote communication channels with their primary physicians.
• Patient willingness to adopt remote consultations, even with non-referring physicians, varies by situation and appointment delay.
• Further research is essential for integrating remote care effectively to maintain patient-centeredness and improve outcomes.