Virtual care in the health care system: A concept analysis

• Published in: Scandinavian journal of caring sciences Vol. 38; no. 1; pp. 35 - 46
• Main Authors: Babaei, Nasib, Zamanzadeh, Vahid, Valizadeh, Leila, Lotfi, Mojgan, Kousha, Ahmad, Samad‐Soltani, Taha, Avazeh, Marziyeh
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Sweden Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 01.03.2024
• Subjects: Attributes; Caregivers; Communication; Communications technology; concept analysis; Conceptual analysis; Delivery of Health Care; Health education; Health information; Health Personnel; healthcare; Humans; Information technology; Medical personnel; Patients; Symptom management; telehealth; Telemedicine; Telemedicine - methods; Telephone calls; virtual care; virtual follow‐up; virtual visits; concept analysis; virtual follow-up; telehealth; virtual care; virtual visits; healthcare
• ISSN: 0283-9318; 1471-6712
• DOI: 10.1111/scs.13227

Background Health care providers need a better understanding of virtual care to recognise and use it for service delivery. Aim To provide a more comprehensive definition of the concept of virtual care. Method This study was conducted based on Walker and Avant's concept analysis method. A comprehensive review of the published texts in English from 2012 to 2022 was performed using the PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, ProQuest, Science Direct, Ovid, CINAHL and Google Scholar databases. Results The main aspects and attributes of virtual care, including the use of any information and communication technology in various formats such as platforms, telephone calls, messages, email consultation, remote monitoring, secure and two‐way digital communication between health care providers and patients, the possibility of providing remote care synchronously or asynchronously, more interaction between patients and caregivers, the possibility of transferring information between patients and health care providers and within the teams themselves, symptom management, sending diagnostic results in the form of video visits, and providing follow‐up care, are attributes that distinguish virtual care from telehealth, telemedicine and other methods of providing remote healthcare services. Conclusion Considering the positive and negative consequences of implementing virtual care, the findings of this study developed a basis for an operational definition of the concept so that providers can understand the meaning of virtual care and consider it when providing virtual care to patients. The findings of this study can be used in many international and national contexts in the health care system and in future studies on interventions to increase the use of virtual care.