Remote by Default 2
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Remote by Default 2 - the new normal?
IRAS ID
300719
Contact name
Trisha Greenhalgh
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Oxford
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 11 months, 31 days
Research summary
Please note: whilst a PhD is a TINY PART of this study, it is MAINLY a research project. Unfortunately the IRAS form doesn't allow us to make this clear.
AIM
To inform high-quality, safe and equitable care in UK general practice in the context of policies which require phone, video or e-consultation by default.BACKGROUND
When COVID-19 struck, general practice shifted to predominantly phone, video or e-consultations instead of face-to-face. Remote had benefits (e.g. reducing spread of COVID-19), but also downsides (technical glitches; inequalities of access; missed diagnoses; reduced continuity of care; and patients simply not seeking care at all). Despite this, Matt Hancock declared on 30th July 2020 that remote-by-default is here to stay.RESEARCH QUESTION
To what extent is remote-by-default, introduced for infection control during the pandemic, fit for purpose for the long term – and how can we make remote care better and safer?DESIGN AND METHODS
Mixed-method case study with co-design workshops and cross-sector stakeholder events.OBJECTIVES AND METHODS
1. GP PRACTICES
We will support 10 GP practices to develop effective remote services and alternatives where needed. We’ll help them collect data and use their findings to inform improvement efforts.2. PATIENTS
We will interview 40 patients selected for diversity (age, ethnicity, locality, socio-economic status, condition[s], digital literacy), and hold two workshops (one remotely and one in person, Covid allowing) where patients help co-design ways to combine remote and face-to-face models.3. WIDER SYSTEM
We will engage stakeholders – including policymakers, professional bodies, industry, civil society and patient groups – in ongoing dialogue about how to deliver and support a more equitable, less risky remote-by-default service. We’ll interview them and hold cross-sector stakeholder events (big Zoom meetings), working both before and after the events to build relationships and action ideas.REC name
East Midlands - Leicester South Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
21/EM/0170
Date of REC Opinion
16 Aug 2021
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion