Patient Safety and Remote Consulting in Primary Care
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Improving patient safety during a pandemic: using patient and professional experience to improve patient safety-netting in remote consultations.
IRAS ID
306795
Contact name
Sara Macdonald
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 3 months, 31 days
Research summary
Primary care changed rapidly in response to COVID-19. Fewer people attend their GP surgery; most appointments use remote phone or online video consultations. Whilst many patients are comfortable with these changes, others can find them challenging. For patients, sharing concerns with the doctor or understanding information given to them can be difficult, especially remotely.
Safety-netting is the information given to people during their consultation, for example about on-going symptoms, changes or developing symptoms. It can also include follow-up plans, test results and referral to hospital. Safety-netting is important, particularly in remote consultations.
This study will explore what happens during remote consultations and whether there is an impact on patient safety. We plan to do this by
- Exploring how primary care practices have managed the changes in consulting following COVID-19
- Identifying patients’ experiences of remote appointments.
- Exploring whether patients are aware, and understand, that they have been safety-netted.
- Exploring the experiences of health care professionals in providing remote consultations.
- Identifying patient safety incidents recorded in patients’ electronic records.
- Working with both patients and professionals, in workshops, to produce resources to help keep patients safe during remote consultations, ensuring that everyone’s needs are met.
We plan to use a mix of methods including interviews and reviewing patient notes. Patients have been involved in the development of the research, a Patient and Public Involvement Group will oversee the study and help analyse the findings.
REC name
West Midlands - South Birmingham Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
22/WM/0051
Date of REC Opinion
24 Mar 2022
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion