Use of video consultations in Norway during the COVID-19 pandemic

Here’s a few quotes from an interesting research article from the Norwegian Centre for E-Health Research about the use of video consultations by Norwegian GPs.

The COVID-19 pandemic imposed an acute, sharp rise in the use of video consultations (VCs) by general practitioners (GPs) in Norway.

Overall, 51% (1766/3476) of the evaluated VCs were considered to have similar or even better suitability to assess the main reason for contact, compared to face-to-face consultations.

VCs were considered equal to or better than face-to-face consultations in 57% (1011/1785) of cases, as opposed to 32% (87/274) when the patient was unknown.

VCs were found most suitable for anxiety and life stress, depression, and administrative purposes, as well as for longstanding or complex problems that normally require multiple follow-up consultations.

This part of the study is important to note as it is very different from other research published in this field.

In most VCs (79%; 2760/3484), the GP knew the patient well beforehand, while the GPs described only 8% (276/3484) of the patients as previously unknown.

When the patient was “unknown,” the corresponding suitability rate dropped to 32% (87/274).

For contacts regarding somatic problems which required a physical exam video wasn’t regarded as suitable.

other issues, including musculoskeletal problems (187/469; 40%, 95% CI 36%-44%) and skin disorders (98/300; 33%, 95% CI 28%-38%), were regarded as less suitable for VCs. VCs were also considered less suitable in situations involving acute chest pain, stomach pain, and fear/investigation of a potential new cancer.

The results indicate that GPs still consider the physical examination a crucial element of many consultations to enhance both diagnostic accuracy and quality of care in a wider sense.