GPs' use of video and telephone consultation: implications for physical activity promotion for older adults. A mixed-methods study.
cross_sectional · Level IV
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 39029942.
- Also identified by DOI 10.3399/BJGPO.2023.0256 and PMC identifier 12728848.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic led GPs to adopt video consultation and telephone consultation (VC/TC) as part of routine practice. The potential impact on physical activity (PA) promotion and prescription for older adults, in routine practice, was unknown. To understand how VC/TC have impacted on the routine promotion of PA to older adults in GP consultations. A mixed-methods, cross-sectional study of GPs was conducted in the Republic of Ireland (RoI) and Northern Ireland (NI) in 2020/2021. An online survey and interviews were conducted with GPs that explored awareness of PA guidelines, PA promotion during consultations to older adults (aged ≥65 years), and the impact on routine practice of moving to VC/TC during the pandemic. GPs from across the island of Ireland (NI and RoI) agreed that PA promotion is part of routine practice. Analysis of interviews with GPs highlighted a need to develop practitioners' knowledge of the guidelines, and themes emerged around the use of VC/TC in routine practice. The positive themes highlighted that VC/TC enabled GPs to consult with a greater number of patients compared with face-to-face consultation (FTFC). Barriers to using VC/TC included decreased visual assessments of patients face to face (FTF). GPs are continuing to use VC/TC at the initial consultation stage, but the broader and longer-term implications on PA promotion with older adults are unknown.