Remote consultations are appointments that take place over the phone, by video or text messaging. During the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a big increase in remote consultations in primary care.
The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) funded study will ask GPs, mental health nurses and patients about their views and experiences of remote consulting for anxiety and depression.
The information gathered will inform how best to use remote consultations for these conditions in the future.
The researchers hope to interview 40 patients and health professionals and will report on the findings later in 2023.
Dr Charlotte Archer, Senior Research Associate in Primary Care Mental Health at the Centre for Academic Primary Care, University of Bristol, said: “While there is research on the use of remote consultations generally, not much is known about how they work for people with common mental health disorders, such as anxiety and depression. This is important because 40% of primary care consultations focus on mental health, and this figure has increased during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“During remote consultations, distressing issue may be discussed and patients may find it difficult to have these conversations over the phone. GPs and nurses may miss important cues, for example, in facial expression or body language. Conversely, anxiety and depression may make it more difficult for some patients to attend appointments in person and therefore remote consultations may be preferable.
“Understanding the benefits and challenges of remote consultations for mental health will inform how best, and when, this method of consulting is used in primary care.”
Health professionals and patients from GP practices across the West of England are now being invited to take part.
For more information, email charlotte.archer@bristol.ac.uk.
This study is funded by the NIHR School for Primary Care Research (project reference 598). The views expressed are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of the NIHR or the Department of Health and Social Care.