Preferred Telephone Research Articles

Virtual Care Appointments and Experience Among Older Rural Patients with Chronic Conditions in New South Wales: An Analysis of Existing Survey Data

This retrospective, descriptive study, conducted in 2024, analysed Virtual Care Survey (2020–2022) data of patients’ self-reported reflections on use and experiences to investigate relationships between demographics, the number of chronic conditions, and virtual care use among older rural patients (≥65 years with at least one chronic condition) living in New South Wales, and their satisfaction with virtual care. Associations between categorical variables were assessed using chi-squared tests, and Kruskal–Wallis tests were used for continuous variables. Qualitative feedback was analysed thematically. The study included 264 patients (median age 74 years; 51.1% women). Most virtual care appointments (65.3%) were for consultations, check-ups, or review of test results. Over one-third (38.3%) of the patients had multimorbidity and were 1.8 times more likely to have five or more virtual care appointments compared to the patients with one chronic condition. The oldest age group (≥80 years) preferred telephone over online mediums (Skype or Zoom) (p < 0.05). Patient satisfaction was high (65.8%), with 60.9% finding virtual care comparable to in-person consultations. Technological issues correlated with more negative experiences (p < 0.05). Key themes were enhanced accessibility and convenience, quality and safety of virtual care, and recommendations for equitable access. Despite positive responses, addressing technological complexities is important for optimising virtual care models for older rural Australians with chronic conditions.

Preferences of Individuals With Obesity for Online Medical Consultation in Different Demand Scenarios: Discrete Choice Experiments.

Obesity is a unique chronic disease, with China having the largest number of people living with overweight and obesity in the world. There has been little research from the demand perspective for online medical consultation (OMC) by individuals living with obesity. With the growing demand for obesity OMC, especially due to the emergence of new pharmacotherapies, such as glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists, individuals living with obesity are seeking both advice on obesity management and the prescription of obesity drugs. Therefore, our demand scenarios defined 2 OMC motivations to manage obesity: "For-Drugs" use and "For-Advice" use. This study aims to assess and compare the preferences for For-Drugs and For-Advice OMC among individuals living with obesity in China. Following the International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research's checklist and comprising 400 participants assigned to the For-Drugs scenario and 400 to the For-Advice scenario, the For-Drugs and For-Advice preferences were estimated through discrete choice experiments. The groups in the 2 scenarios followed a similar distribution, and the 2 different demand scenarios shared the same discrete choice experiment design, comprising 16 choice sets with 6 representative attributes. Mixed logit modeling was used to estimate the willingness to pay and relative importance scores. Doctors with well-known and general expert titles, versus ordinary doctors; doctors from high-level, provincial, tertiary, and municipal hospitals, versus lower-level county hospitals; less waiting time; and lower OMC fees were preferred in both the For-Drugs and For-Advice scenarios. The differences between the 2 scenarios lay in the consultation format, consultation duration, and the relative importance of consultation duration versus waiting time. The For-Advice group preferred telephone consultations, while the For-Drugs group did not; the For-Drugs group preferred longer consultation duration (β=.029), while the For-Advice group preferred shorter consultation duration (β=-.030); and the For-Drugs group rated consultation duration higher than waiting time, while the For-Advice group rated the waiting time as more important than consultation duration. Combined with our qualitative research, the differences can be explained by the different consultation needs in the 2 scenarios, where longer patient consultations were preferred by the For-Drugs patients who sought detailed advice on drug side effects, while quick and direct responses were preferred by the For-Advice participants. By revealing user preferences on costs, doctors' titles and hospital level, wait time, and consultation duration and format, our research informs OMC platforms, OMC regulators, and doctors on market segmentation and service differentiation strategies.

Impact of remote social interaction during the COVID-19 pandemic on the cognitive and psychological status of older adults with and without cognitive impairment: A randomized controlled study.

Social isolation and loneliness have both been associated with psychological health and cognitive decline in older adults. This study investigated the impact of social interaction through remote communication technologies during the COVID-19 pandemic on the cognitive and psychological status of older adults with and without cognitive impairment. Participants were recruited from Boston (USA) and Chieti (Italy). The study used a randomized single-blinded controlled crossover design with an intervention (remote social conversations with research staff over 20-minute video or telephone calls three times per week) and a passive control condition, each one of 4-weeks duration. The primary outcome was a composite cognitive score change from baseline to week 4. Secondary outcomes included scales for mood, anxiety, and loneliness. Out of 196 participants recruited from April 2020 to April 2021, 17% dropped out. Based on the blind MoCA, 52% had cognitive impairment, and 25% were at risk of social isolation according to the Lubben social network scale. We observed that larger social networks were linked to better cognitive status and lower depression and anxiety levels, while loneliness was directly associated to depression severity. Older adults with cognitive impairment exhibited higher levels of depression and anxiety and were at greater risk for social isolation. In terms of the intervention, 91% preferred telephone over video calls. The intervention did not lead to improvements in cognitive or psychological scores. More work is needed to assess the utility of this intervention for the support of a heterogenous cross-cultural sample of older adults at-risk for social isolation, including individuals with cognitive impairment. Future research should explore longer intervention periods, categorize participants by call type, and target those meeting social isolation criteria. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04480112.

Virtual Follow-Up after Cataract Surgery: A Systematic Review.

To examine the association between virtual postoperative follow-up care and patient outcomes after cataract surgery. Cataract surgery is a safe and commonly performed surgery. Follow-up visits are used to monitor for complications. It is uncertain whether virtual follow-up provides a safe alternative to in-person review. Medline, Embase and CINAHL were searched from inception to October 2023 for relevant articles containing original data. Studies that: 1) included patients that were seen in a virtual follow-up (i.e., telephone or video call) for postoperative appointments after cataract surgery, and 2) reported patient outcomes were included. Risk of bias was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa and ROB2 assessment tools. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize findings. The review was registered in PROSPERO (registration number, CRD42023477207) and PRISMA guidelines were followed. The search yielded 1710 records with seven studies included in this review. The seven studies reported on 2113 cataract surgeries in 1994 patients. The studies ranged between 2004 and 2020. Most of the studies (5/7) included only patients with uncomplicated cataract surgery. Virtual follow-ups were all conducted by telephone. The follow-up calls were made at varying timepoints including postoperative day 1 (n= 3), day 7 (n=2) and day 14 (n=1). Two observational studies directly compared patients who had a telephone follow-up to a control group who had an in-person follow-up. There were no significant differences in complication rates (p=0.22) or visual acuity (p=0.28) between these follow-up groups. None of the studies reported serious adverse outcomes from replacing in-person follow-up with telephone follow-up. One study used virtual follow-up in conjunction with in-person visits for elderly patients and found that additional telephone follow-up was associated with decreased surgical recovery time and decreased patient anxiety. Three studies reported on patient perceptions about telephone follow-up. A common theme was that patients preferred telephone reviews and found them to be more convenient than in-person follow-up. For patients with uncomplicated cataract surgery, virtual follow-ups seem to be a safe alternative to in-person visits and were preferred by patients. These conclusions are preliminary given the limited literature base, and further study is needed.

Perception and Acceptance of Telemedicine Use in Health Care Among the General Public in China: Web-Based Cross-Sectional Survey.

The COVID-19 pandemic is bringing about substantial changes in health care systems, leading to a significant shift toward telemedicine for the delivery of health care services. This study aims to examine the relationship between perceived usefulness and ease of use of telemedicine services and their association with the behavioral intention to use telemedicine. An anonymous cross-sectional survey was conducted in China. Partial least squares structural equation modeling was used to determine significant predictors of intention to use telemedicine consultation. Types of illnesses that favored seeking telemedicine consultation, as well as the most preferred platform for conducting telemedicine consultations, were also investigated. In total, 1006 participants completed the survey. A total of 44.3% (n=446) reported being very likely and 49.3% (n=496) reported being likely to seek telemedicine consultation. Overall, the majority of participants expressed strong agreement or agreement regarding the perceived usefulness of telemedicine. Likewise, the majority indicated strong agreement or agreement when it came to their perception of the ease of using telemedicine. In the partial least squares structural equation modeling, perceived usefulness (β=0.322; P<.001) and perceived ease of use (β=0.118; P=.01) were significantly associated with a higher likelihood of seeking telemedicine consultation. A considerable number of participants expressed willingness to use telemedicine services for various medical conditions, particularly respiratory (n=340, 33.8%), skin (n=316, 31.4%), and musculoskeletal issues (n=316, 31.4%) while showing less interest in seeking telemedicine consultations for reproductive health (n=44, 4.4%) and cancer (n=64, 6.4%). The majority preferred video chat (n=443, 44%) and text chat (n=317, 31.5%) as their most preferred platforms for telemedicine consultation, while a smaller proportion preferred telephone (n=193, 19.2%) and email (n=53, 5.3%). Telemedicine has the potential to play a larger role in China's health care system. The preferences for certain platforms over others may influence service design and implementation.

Patients' and Clinicians' Experiences with In-person, Video, and Phone Modalities for Opioid Use Disorder Treatment: A Qualitative Study.

Opioid use disorder (OUD) is a chronic condition that requires regular visits and care continuity. Telehealth implementation has created multiple visit modalities for OUD care. There is limited knowledge of patients' and clinicians' perceptions and experiences related to multi-modality care and when different modalities might be best employed. To identify patients' and clinicians' experiences with multiple visit modalities for OUD treatment in primary care. Comparative case study, using video- and telephone-based semi-structured interviews. Patients being treated for OUD (n = 19) and clinicians who provided OUD care (n = 15) from two primary care clinics within the same healthcare system. Using an inductive approach, interviews were analyzed to identify patients' and clinicians' experiences with receiving/delivering OUD care via different visit modalities. Clinicians' and patients' experiences were compared using a group analytical process. Patients and clinicians valued having multiple modalities available for care, with flexibility identified as a key benefit. Patients highlighted the decreased burden of travel and less social anxiety with telehealth visits. Similarly, clinicians reported that telehealth decreased medical intrusion into the lives of patients stable in recovery. Patients and clinicians saw the value of in-person visits when establishing care and for patients needing additional support. In-person visits allowed the ability to conduct urine drug testing, and to foster relationships and trust building, which were more difficult, but not impossible via a telehealth visit. Patients preferred telephone over video visits, as these were more private and more convenient. Clinicians identified benefits of video, including being able to both hear and see the patient, but often deferred to patient preference. Considerations for utilization of visit modalities for OUD care were identified based on patients' needs and preferences, which often changed over the course of treatment. Continued research is needed determine how visit modalities impact patient outcomes.

The use of digital tools by general practitioners in Finnish public health centres

Electronic health services (eHealth) have increased rapidly in the last few years. These services hold the potential to facilitate today’s challenging primary care. The aim of the study was to examine how digitalisation manifests in Finnish health centres in 2021. We aimed to find out which digital tools are used in health centres and how they are exploited. In addition, we were interested in general practitioners’ attitudes towards digitalisation in their everyday work. An online survey was distributed to general practitioners (GPs) working in primary health care centres throughout Finland, and 265 GPs replied. A health portal and various digital calculators were used daily. In remote communication with their patients, general practitioners preferred telephone calls over new tools (chat/video). Attitudes towards eHealth were positive, but digital tools were not yet commonly used. The implementation of digital solutions still needs more effort.

Patient and Physician Assessments of Clinical Status: A Mixed-methods Study of Interstitial Lung Disease

The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic necessitated novel health care delivery for patients with interstitial lung disease (ILD), including reduced in-person appointments and physiologic testing to minimize transmission. Clinicians often have been required to rely on patients' subjective assessments of their clinical status during phone follow-up appointments. It is unknown how accurate a patient's self-assessment is compared with that of their physician during an in-person evaluation. Are patients' self-assessments of their clinical status in agreement with their physicians' assessments, and are telemedicine vsin-person visits acceptable? Patients were enrolled prospectively from the University of Calgary ILD clinic. Participants were asked by phone before the in-person appointment and after the appointment to rate their clinical status on a five-point Likert scale. Physicians then rated the patient's clinical status after the appointment on a similar five-point Likert scale, masked to patient responses. Patients and physicians were asked if an in-person appointment was necessary or if telemedicine would have sufficed. Clinical variables associated with physician assessments were assessed. Fifty patients with mean age of 67 ± 11.8 years participated. Mean time since last follow-up was 5.0 ± 3.0months. No correlation was found between the preclinical patient self-assessment and postclinical physician assessment (P= .18; κ= 0.28). Correlation of postclinical assessment was statistically significant (P< .001), with moderate agreement (κ= 0.49). Physicians thought telephone visits were acceptable for 58%of appointments, whereas only 12%of patients preferred telephone visits. Physician's assessment of clinical status seemed to be driven by change in diffusion capacity of the lungs for carbon monoxide (P= .039). Telemedicine may improve access to care for patients during pandemic management, in rural communities, and for those with impaired mobility. Despite these benefits, our data support that patients and physicians may not agree on determination of clinical status and that patients generally prefer in-person patient-physician interactions.

Migraine Patient Care Model Preferences in a Community Practice.

Developing high-value care models with limited resources for large populations of individuals with migraine requires advanced understanding of patient preferences for care delivery methods. In this study, we aimed to inform the development of migraine care models by assessing patient preferences for types of care delivery and determining differences based on migraine frequency and disability. We analyzed unpublished data from a cross-sectional survey of 516 randomly selected individuals with migraine within a community practice associated with Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN. Individuals with chronic migraine, compared with those with episodic migraine, were more likely to prefer a visit with a neurologist (p = 0.0005), synchronous telephone conference with primary care provider (PCP) and neurologist (p = 0.0102), and a written migraine action plan in the medical record (p = 0.0343). Compared with those with mild/no disability, individuals with moderate-to-severe disability were more likely to prefer a visit with a neurologist (p < 0.0001), synchronous video or telephone conference with PCP and neurologist (p < 0.0001), PCP communication with neurologist (p = 0.0099), electronic message to primary care team with access to neurologist (p = 0.0216), and written action plan in the medical record (p = 0.0011). Collectively, individuals most preferred telephone follow-up and least preferred communications with a nurse or pharmacist or generalized education (all p < 0.001). We observed differences in migraine care delivery preferences between migraine frequency and level of migraine disability. Observations support development of care pathways that include a written migraine action plan, primary care-neurology collaboration including nontraditional interactions, and prioritization of traditional neurology consultation for the most disabled patients.

Long telephone consultations for GP appointments: evidence versus policy.

Long telephone consultations for GP appointments: evidence versus policy.

GP-led adapted comprehensive geriatric assessment for frail older people: a multi-methods evaluation of the 'Living Well Assessment' quality improvement project in Scotland.

Evidence to support comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) in primary care for frail older people is limited. To evaluate a GP-led adapted CGA quality improvement project. Multi-methods evaluation in a large practice in Midlothian in Scotland. The intervention was conducted by 10 GPs in a practice of approximately 11 000 patients, initially in the patient's home, and then remotely (by telephone or video consultation) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Evaluation included a patient questionnaire, and qualitative interviews with GPs delivering the Living Well Assessment (LWA), analysed by thematic analysis. A total of 165/220 (75%) patients responded to the survey, of which 86% reported a 'very good experience' of the LWA. The method of delivery did not significantly influence this although most (58%) stated a preference for face-to-face consultation. For the 31% who preferred remote LWA, most (23%) preferred telephone to video consultation (8%). Problems in remote consultations related to technical issues (video), poor vision (video), or deafness (telephone or video). GPs felt that home-based LWAs had real benefits but switching to remote during the pandemic had proven feasible. Concerns included potential increase in GP workload owing to the LWA and whether it was an efficient use of GPs' time. GP-led adapted CGA was feasible in a large practice, even during the pandemic, and highly valued by frail patients. Questions regarding efficient use of GPs' time, effectiveness in terms of important patient outcomes and impact, and cost-effectiveness, requires further investigation in a larger study.

Willingness to engage in post-discharge follow-up service conducted via video telemedicine: Cross-sectional study

BackgroundLeading influencing factors for telemedicine implementation remain unclear, affecting the focus of intervention strategies. Despite recent effectiveness evidence of video telemedicine visits, limited evidence exists regarding patients’ willingness to use video follow-up. Moreover, patients’ acceptance is crucial for implementing such services. ObjectiveWe conducted a large-sample survey to analyze patient willingness and perceptions of post-discharge video follow-up and assessed the factors influencing their willingness during the COVID-19 outbreak. MethodIn February and March 2022, we conducted a face-to-face questionnaire survey involving inpatients in a tertiary care hospital in Longhua District, Shenzhen, China. We assessed demographics, health-related determinants, access to technology and literacy, preferences, willingness, and opinions toward video telemedicine follow-up. We implemented random forest and logistic regression analyses to obtain reliable results. ResultsIn total, 1,017 inpatients completed the survey. Overall, as an initial choice, 44.9 % preferred telephone consultation for post-discharge follow-up, which was followed by video telemedicine (17.1 %), WeChat voice calls (11.6 %), SMS text messages (10.7 %), WeChat graphic messages (10.5 %), and in-person visits (4.5 %). Moreover, 54.9 % were willing to experience video visits. The results highlight the perceived benefits outweighing the risks (OR 2.64, 95 % CI 1.76, 3.95), patients’ trust in the physician (OR 2.41, 95 % CI 1.45, 3.99), access to a private space (OR 2.18, 95 % CI 1.01, 2.96), medium geographical distance (compared to long distance, OR 0.72, 95 % CI 0.54, 0.98), moderate disease (compared to mild disease, OR 0.75, 95 % CI 0.57, 0.99), followed by the comfort with video technology (OR 1.73, 95 % CI 1.76, 3.95), broadband internet accessibility (OR 1.56, 95 % CI 1.07, 2.27), privacy concerns (OR 0.62, 95 % CI 0.43, 0.89), and prior telemedicine video experience (OR 1.77, 95 % CI 1.15, 2.72), as factors influencing the willingness to use video follow-up. ConclusionsA low percentage of patients chose video visits as their initial decisions; nevertheless, most had a positive attitude toward video follow-up visits. The willingness to choose video telemedicine post-discharge follow-up was influenced by geographical distance, disease severity, basic telemedicine requirements, physician–patient relationship, and perceptions of video communication.

Remote consultations: experiences of UK patients with prostate cancer during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Aim: Explore UK prostate cancer patients'experiences and preferences for in-person and remote consultations. Materials & methods: In January-March 2021, patients completed a survey of consultation format preferences. Results: Of 971 patients, most preferred in-person consultations when receiving diagnosis and results (92.3% and 66.5%, respectively) and discussing first and further treatment options (92.0and 84.0%, respectively). Fewer patients considered follow-up (40.9%) or side effect consultations (47.7%) should be in person. Patients with longer travel preferred telephone consultations for receiving test results post-treatment. Patients over 55 preferred in-person consultations for discussing first treatment. Conclusion: To optimize prostate cancer care in the wake of COVID-19, we recommend patients have the option of consultation format, although key decisions should be made in person.

Subjective Lateralization within Auditory Imagery: Valence and Verbality

Two experiments examined whether auditory imagery was localized to the left or right ear. Building on research of Prete and colleagues, in Experiment 1, participants imaged a person spoke into their ear or they spoke into an imaged person's ear. Valence of the message was positive (e.g., “you won!”) or negative (e.g., “you lost!”), and sex of the imaged person and whether the participant or imaged person was imaged to have moved was varied. Positively-valenced messages were more likely to be imaged at the right ear; negatively-valenced messages were more likely to be imaged at the left ear. In Experiment 2, participants imaged a positively-valenced (e.g., a kitten purring) or a negatively-valenced (e.g., fingernails scratching a chalkboard) nonverbal sound. Both positively-valenced nonverbal sounds and negatively-valenced nonverbal sounds were imaged at the right ear. Auditory imagery vividness and clarity, handedness, and preferred telephone ear did not generally correlate with ear preferences. Implications for lateralization of language, emotion, and auditory frequency; the inner voice/inner ear distinction; and methods of analysis are discussed.

TU7.8 Pay Per View: Cost and Satisfaction of Virtual Video Clinics

AimsThe Covid-19 pandemic necessitated use of video consultations to provide continued patient care. It is not clear if video clinics are well received by patients, or if they are cost efficient. We evaluate the benefits of video consultation and review the impact on waiting times and cost implications to a trust.Methods100 patients referred between January - December 2021 with gallstones were invited to complete a patient satisfaction questionnaire after initial clinic consultation. Patients were divided into three groups based on consultation type; face-to-face, telephone and video consultation (via the Attend Anywhere platform). Secondary outcome measures included time from referral to appointment, time to final outcome and cost implications.Results93 patients responded; 33 video, 30 face-to-face and 30 telephone consultations. Of these patients 62% were female and 38% male with an average age of 51 (25–84).Average time from referral was 22 days in the video cohort, 22 in the telephone cohort and 32 for face-to-face appointments. Of the video cohort, 44% were booked for cholecystectomy from initial consultation and 56% sent for further investigation. The conversion rate from video to face-to-face consultation was zero.50% of respondents stated face-to-face consultations as their preferred method of future consultation, 49% of patients opted for video and 1% preferred telephone consultation. 79% reported increased satisfaction due to convenience of consultation.ConclusionThis study demonstrates video consultations decrease costs and waiting times. Patient satisfaction is comparable to in-person visit. Specific referral criteria and patient selection is essential to maximise the benefits of video consultations.

Video consulting during the COVID-19 pandemic- Improving or worsening access to care?

Introduction: The use of telemedicine in breast surgery occurred almost overnight to maintain outpatient service provision during the COVID-19 pandemic. There is concern that remote consultations could lead to a widening of health inequalities. To evaluate this issue further, the present study looked to explore patient attitudes and access towards video consultations (VCs) in a tertiary referral breast oncology centre.Methods: Research approval was granted from the Local NHS Quality Improvement Office. Prospective questionnaires were distributed to outpatients at the Nottingham Breast Institute from July to September 2021. Along with patient demographics, information regarding access to VC hardware and general attitudes towards VCs were collected. The data was tabulated and explored both quantitatively and qualitatively.Results: 519 questionnaires were analysed. The average age was 47.3 years (range 14-88 years). 92% of respondents had access to a video-enabled device, with 90% having access to a video-enabled smartphone. For each additional increase in decade of age over 40 years there was a decrease in access to a video-enabled device. Digital literacy also varied with age, with 61% of under 40s being happy to use VC technology independently compared to 39% of over 50s. Interestingly, 58% of respondents preferred telephone consultations and 80% face to face consultations when compared to VCs.Conclusion: This study illustrates that most patients only have access to a mobile phone for VCs and prefer traditional face to face consultations. Older patients were more likely to have poorer access to VCs and considerations are required to minimize inequalities in this group. Introduction: The use of telemedicine in breast surgery occurred almost overnight to maintain outpatient service provision during the COVID-19 pandemic. There is concern that remote consultations could lead to a widening of health inequalities. To evaluate this issue further, the present study looked to explore patient attitudes and access towards video consultations (VCs) in a tertiary referral breast oncology centre. Methods: Research approval was granted from the Local NHS Quality Improvement Office. Prospective questionnaires were distributed to outpatients at the Nottingham Breast Institute from July to September 2021. Along with patient demographics, information regarding access to VC hardware and general attitudes towards VCs were collected. The data was tabulated and explored both quantitatively and qualitatively. Results: 519 questionnaires were analysed. The average age was 47.3 years (range 14-88 years). 92% of respondents had access to a video-enabled device, with 90% having access to a video-enabled smartphone. For each additional increase in decade of age over 40 years there was a decrease in access to a video-enabled device. Digital literacy also varied with age, with 61% of under 40s being happy to use VC technology independently compared to 39% of over 50s. Interestingly, 58% of respondents preferred telephone consultations and 80% face to face consultations when compared to VCs. Conclusion: This study illustrates that most patients only have access to a mobile phone for VCs and prefer traditional face to face consultations. Older patients were more likely to have poorer access to VCs and considerations are required to minimize inequalities in this group.

P140 Patient experience of osteoporosis telephone consultations

Background/AimsThe COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a rapid change to the use of virtual consultations in both primary and secondary care. Since April 2020, our osteoporosis clinic appointments have predominantly been undertaken by telephone. We wanted to assess our patients’ experience of telephone consultations.MethodsA patient feedback questionnaire was developed by the osteoporosis team which was validated by the Patient Advice and Liaison Service team (PALS) at the Royal United Hospital Bath. A questionnaire consisting of 15 questions was sent to patients following their telephone consultation. Patient consent to receive the questionnaire was requested by the consulting clinician for each participant. The patients were provided with a stamped addressed envelope to return the completed anonymous questionnaire. Thematic analysis was used to identify themes in the qualitative data.ResultsA total of 39 questionnaires were completed. More than 86% of patients reported that their telephone consultation definitely met their needs. Over 89% answered ‘yes definitely’ to questions regarding understanding of the reason for their appointment, opportunities for questions, clear understandable answers, feeling listened to, and treatment plans. 59% of patients responded ‘yes definitely’ that they were given information prior to the appointment about what would happen in the consultation, 10% reported they hadn’t, with 31% responding they had but to some extent only. 72% of respondents reported that it was clear who they should contact if they had any further questions following the consultation. Regarding preference for future appointments, 47% of patients indicated that they would prefer a mixture of telephone, face to face and video consultations; 24% preferred telephone, 16% preferred hospital face to face, and 3% preferred video. 11% reported that they had no preference. Thematic analysis of individual comments identified positive themes such as flexibility, good communication with clinicians and convenience. Areas for development are around communication with regard to physical barriers such as hearing and telephone signal problems. There are also limitations around both physical examination and the transmission of implicit information (non-verbal communication).ConclusionVirtual consultations provide an opportunity to safely assess patients whilst meeting social distancing requirements and minimising patient flow through the hospital. Questionnaire analysis indicates an overall positive experience of telephone consultations. However, most patients would prefer a mixture of face to face, video and telephone consultations in future. There are a number of areas for improvement including: a review of the information provided to patients prior to the consultation, review of contact information for patients following the consultation, and mechanisms for identifying patients with physical/sensory limitations. The information gained through this small review will help us improve the overall telephone consultation experience for our patients.Disclosure J.L. Webb: None. S.A. Hardcastle: None. S.M. Warren: None. D.J. Hart: None. J.A. Shipley: None. T. Ahmed: None.

Feasibility study of student telehealth interviews.

BackgroundThe COVID‐19 pandemic has led to medical students being taught remote clinical communication modalities (telephone and video). Junior students have not generally been included in this and have had less patient contact than previously. This study aimed to examine the feasibility from the junior student viewpoint of conducting both modalities of patient telehealth interviews.MethodsAn electronic questionnaire was used to discover Year 1 student reasons for their preferred modality after they had conducted one telephone and one video interview in pairs with a patient volunteer. Student views on the challenge and benefits of each were also sought.FindingsA total of 55 (32.7% of the cohort) responded, of whom 82% preferred video consultation, 75.6% of those stating being able to see their patient/partner was a key factor. About 5% preferred telephone interview, and 13% had no preference. Telephone interviews were perceived as the more challenging (40% versus 12.7%); however, challenge did not directly link with lack of comfort. There were some technical/connectivity issues with both modalities, and the telephone call system was more complex to set up. Turn‐taking was more difficult by telephone without visual cues.DiscussionThis is the first direct comparison study in junior medical students of real patient interviews by video or telephone. Students embraced the challenge and, although preferring video and finding telephone more challenging, valued each as an educational experience.ConclusionsTelehealth interviews with patients for junior students are feasible, give needed patient exposure, practical insights into remote modalities and consolidate communication skills learnt in the classroom.

Applying the integrated marketing communication approach to recruit and retain African American women.

Background: Researchers use multiple approaches to engage and maintain underrepresented populations in research. They often overlook integrated marketing communication (IMC), a useful approach for commercial marketing, for more established health promotion and social marketing techniques. There is limited information on the application of the IMC approach for recruiting and retaining African American study participants. This article explores the IMC approach used to recruit and retain volunteers for a community-based intervention. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study relying on extracted data from the Multi-Theory Model (MTM) of Health Behavior Physical Activity intervention. A brief multiple-choice survey was administered to a sample of African American women (n=74) to assess the effectiveness of applying an IMC approach for recruiting and retaining volunteers for the multi-week program during January - June 2018. The measures were (1) source for study information, (2) preferred method of contact, (3) primary source for health information. Results: Sixty-nine women listed their doctor as the primary source of health information and five women in the age group 18-34 identified social media (n=3) and websites (n=2). Age is significantly related to the preference of communication tools used to recruit and retain the African American participants. A statistical significance (P =0.025) suggests for women ages 51-69, a combination of radio, church, and word of mouth was more effective for recruitment. The older women preferred telephone calls compared to the women ages 18-50 who relied on texting. Conclusion: IMC can synergize individual communication elements in a coordinated manner to address niche audiences and develop cost-effective health communications programs that can improve recruitment and retention efforts in minority populations.

Safety and efficacy of telephone clinics during the COVID-19 pandemic in the provision of care for patients with cancer.

BackgroundDue to the COVID‐19 pandemic, telephone clinics have been utilised to reduce the risk of transmission. Evidence supporting its quality and safety is required.AimsAssess the efficacy and safety of telephone clinics in delivering care to established oncology patients and assess patient and health professionals’ preference (telephone vs face‐to‐face clinics).MethodsRetrospective chart audit in the month preceding and month following the introduction of telephone clinics at the Gold Coast University Hospital and a patient and health professional questionnaire.ResultsIn total, 1212 clinical encounters occurred in the month post the introduction of telephone clinics (vs 1208 encounters prior). There were no statistically significant differences in 24‐h (18 vs 22, P = 0.531) or 7‐day admissions (50 vs 46, P = 0.665) comparing encounters in the month prior to the introduction of telephone clinics versus the month post, but there was a statistically significant difference in 30‐day mortality post systemic therapy in favour of the post‐telephone clinic period (7 vs 0 patients, P = 0.008). Of the 222 patients who undertook the questionnaire, 42.3% preferred telephone clinics (95% confidence interval (CI) 35.97–48.97), 25.2% preferred face‐to‐face clinics (95% CI 19.92–31.39) and 32.4% did not prefer one method over another. Of the 24 health professionals who undertook the questionnaire, 70.8% felt patients preferred phone clinics.ConclusionsGenerally, patients and clinicians viewed telephone clinics favourably. Nevertheless, a large portion of patients still prefer face‐to‐face clinics. Services should be tailored to individual preferences. Although there were no ‘red flags’ in terms of mortality or admission rates, further longitudinal research is required.