Abstract
BackgroundOwing to the COVID-19 pandemic, the use of telehealth has expanded rapidly. However, little is known about the impact of delivering care through telehealth on communication between clinicians and patients. At an interactional level, the ways in which clinicians establish rapport and connection with their patients in telehealth consultations is not well understood.AimThis study will explore interactional practices of GPs and patients in telehealth consultations to develop evidence-based resources to improve communication.Design & settingThe study will be conducted within the Australian general practice setting.MethodConversation analysis and sociolinguistic discourse analysis of recorded telehealth consultations will provide direct evidence of specific elements contributing to successful and less successful instances of telehealth communication. This analysis will be complemented by co-design techniques such as qualitative and reflective interviews, and collaborative workshops with telehealth users including both GPs and patients.ConclusionEffective communication is critical for telehealth consultations and is central to achieving optimal clinical outcomes and patient satisfaction. Evidence-based guidelines encompassing effective telehealth communication strategies will be co-developed with end-users in this study.
Highlights
Telehealth is not new to Australia, having long been used, albeit to a limited extent, in rural and remote settings [1]
This paper describes the research protocol for a project focused on telehealth in general practice in Australia
While telehealth has been used over the past decade, it was not until 2020 that it became widely available in Australia, an imperative driven by the COVID-19 global pandemic
Summary
Telehealth is not new to Australia, having long been used, albeit to a limited extent, in rural and remote settings [1]. It is new to the great majority of Australian doctors, with the Australian government introducing temporary new Medicare benefit schedule items in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Aim: This study will explore interactional practices of general practitioners (GPs) and patients in telehealth consultations to develop evidence-based resources to improve communication. Methods: Conversation analysis and sociolinguistic discourse analysis of recorded telehealth consultations will provide direct evidence of specific elements contributing to successful and less successful instances of telehealth communication. This analysis will be complemented by co-design techniques such as qualitative and reflective interviews and collaborative workshops with telehealth users, including both general practitioners and patients. This study will co-develop with end-users, evidence-based guidelines encompassing effective telehealth communication strategies
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