Abstract
Background and objectiveThe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has accelerated the shift towards remote consultations in the medical field, including musculoskeletal (MSK) appointments. General practitioner (GP) registrars are now routinely conducting many MSK consultations remotely; however, very little is known of their level of confidence and satisfaction regarding this new and evolving scenario, or how this may impact patient management of patients. In this study, we aimed to understand GP registrars' level of confidence and satisfaction with respect to remote MSK consultations, and the perceived impact on patient management.Study designThis study involved a cross-sectional online survey of GP registrars in the West Midlands, which was conducted in January 2021.MethodsThe survey asked for ranked responses to questions comparing face-to-face consulting methods with remote consulting, focusing on confidence, satisfaction, onward investigations, and referral activity. Statistical analysis was performed using the R software version 4.0.3.ResultsThe overall survey response was 21.2% (n=312/1,471). Of the respondents, 85.9% of GP registrars had not received any training to prepare them for remote MSK consultations. GP registrars generally felt that they were more confident when treating patients face-to-face compared to remote consultations (p<0.001). This was true for general MSK complaints as well as specific assessments of the hand, shoulder, spine, hip, knee, and ankle; 36.2% of GP registrars were not satisfied and 51.0% thought that their patients were not satisfied with the current quality of remote MSK consultations. Of note, 77.6% of GP registrars said that they were more likely to request additional investigations, and 75.6% stated that they were more likely to refer patients to a specialist after a remote MSK consultation.ConclusionThis study highlights the need for further training to better equip primary care doctors for remote MSK consultations. With tailored training, GP registrars could offer more streamlined remote patient care for MSK complaints.
Highlights
Musculoskeletal (MSK) complaints account for more than 100 million general practitioner (GP) appointments each year in the UK; they constitute almost 30% of the caseload and cost the National Health Service (NHS) £5 billion per year [1]
85.9% of General practitioner (GP) registrars had not received any training to prepare them for remote MSK consultations
This was true for general MSK complaints as well as specific assessments of the hand, shoulder, spine, hip, knee, and ankle; 36.2% of GP registrars were not satisfied and 51.0% thought that their patients were not satisfied with the current quality of remote MSK consultations
Summary
Musculoskeletal (MSK) complaints account for more than 100 million general practitioner (GP) appointments each year in the UK; they constitute almost 30% of the caseload and cost the National Health Service (NHS) £5 billion per year [1]. The literature indicates that current medical school curriculums do not impart satisfactory levels of knowledge and confidence with respect to treating MSK conditions [3,4]. This same theme is echoed further along the medical training pathway for both primary and secondary care doctors [5,6]. General practitioner (GP) registrars are routinely conducting many MSK consultations remotely; very little is known of their level of confidence and satisfaction regarding this new and evolving scenario, or how this may impact patient management of patients. We aimed to understand GP registrars' level of confidence and satisfaction with respect to remote MSK consultations, and the perceived impact on patient management
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