Table 3 Strengths and benefits of virtual care
Strengths and benefits | Illustrative quote(s) |
|---|---|
Patient factors and wellbeing | |
Consumer perceptions: • Patient can be monitored at home, and avoid hospital with its inherent risks • Control and assurance, with instant feedback on own condition • Feelings of security and confidence in being monitored and having ongoing support | “Peace of mind – someone sees straight away and can call for help” Consumer 1, workshop 6 |
Provider perceptions: • Tailored to patient, with increased time under care, but decreased time in hospital • More comfortable and faster for patient, only need to visit hospital when needed • Easy to track patient appointments and movements, no need for patient to remember details if events auto-monitored • Decrease in anxiety, as patient is reassured and empowered | “More comfortable for the patient to be at home as there is no hospital noise” Provider 2, workshop 2 “Not worrying about having a heart attack and no one being aware of it” Provider 1, workshop 6 |
Accessibility | |
Consumer perceptions: • Easy to use, even for those with low digital literacy • Allows access to care while at home, including 24-h monitoring • Convenient, timely, less disruptive to daily routines • Allows follow-up care to be fast-tracked | “Time saver for the patient – she doesn’t have to be in ED, she is at the comfort of her own home” Consumer 6, workshop 8 “It will save time to communicate with specialists and have appointments with the doctor” Consumer 2, workshop 8 |
Provider perceptions: • Easy, convenient, efficient and cheaper for consumers and providers • Better access, from home, to reliable and streamlined communication • Allows consumer to be regularly seen by specialist • Increases reach of care e.g., to rural and remote communities | “Have capacity to provide care to those who are not close. It increases the reach of care” Provider 2, workshop 8 “Improved convenience for both patients and providers. Can have an appointment, or through an online “virtual clinic” waiting room” Provider 6, workshop 6 |
Better care and health outcomes | |
Consumer perceptions: • Continuous, safer care at home, minimising potential for cross-infection • Patient will be able to escalate urgent care and communicate with healthcare staff • Improved insights with data capture at hospital and 24-h monitoring • Access to post-hospital care | “It is better than the current system where you have to wait three months to be seen by the doctor with results” Consumer 1, workshop 8 “Good to include this in the hospital because it will help to find out if the patient is severe or mild and then decide if they need to go to the hospital. Then when they are stable enough to go home, they can free up the beds for other patients” Consumer 1 workshop 2 |
Provider perceptions: • Reliable and well-performing technology • Senior staff member reviews data • GP access to information will strengthen clinical decision making • Can monitor for extended period and capture real world data during activities, including logging events that are not captured during ED visit • A time-sensitive model • Reduces infection risk, as patient spends less time in hospital | “From an ED point of view, it could be useful. It is hard to recreate SVT and other episodes – could log the number of times the SVT occurs” Provider 3, workshop 6 |
Health system benefits | |
Consumer perceptions: • Shortens the time spent as an inpatient • Reduce hospital pressure, by freeing up beds • Streamline ED triage process for low acuity patients, with less patients in waiting room | “It would be a very good way to help the patient, as well as helping the hospital – lighten the burden of many patients by having patient at home” Consumer 7, workshop 2 |
Provider perceptions: • Relieves bed pressure • Keeps people out of hospitals, and cuts numbers in clinics • Time efficient • Data can be readily available to teams | “This care has been delivered for many years, it’s good for the patient in that they don’t have to always go to clinic, as long as there is a plan outlined for them like red flags and all that… from a cardiology specialist perspective they are getting care and have real time monitoring and if there is an abnormality they have options – win–win situation” Provider 1, workshop 2 |