Access to general practice during COVID-19: a cross-sectional view of the opinions of adults who use social media

• Published in: Annals of family medicine Vol. 20; no. 20 Suppl 1
• Main Authors: Mineva, Gabriela, Kiroplis, Irene, Rogers, Bethany, Pearl, Dana, Abohalima, Yasmin, O'Donnell, Patrick, McCool, Aoibhin, Hayes, Peter, Volz, Monika
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States American Academy of Family Physicians 01.04.2022
• Subjects: Adult; Covid-19; COVID-19 - epidemiology; Cross-Sectional Studies; General Practice; Humans; Pandemics; Physician-Patient Relations; Remote Consultation; Social Media
• DOI: 10.1370/afm.20.s1.3117
• ISSN: 1544-1717; 1544-1709

Background/Aim: Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, virtual consultations have become commonplace, and access to healthcare more complex. The study was designed to examine the impact COVID-19 has had on access to general practice care in Ireland. Methods: A 25-question online survey was designed in Qualtrics®. Adult patients of Irish general practices were recruited via social media between October 2020 and February 2021 and volunteered their opinions. Results: 670 persons participated. Half of all doctor-patient consultations were now completed virtually-predominantly via telephone. Overall, 497 (78%) participants accessed their healthcare teams as scheduled, and without disruption. 18% of participants (n=104) reported difficulty in accessing their long-term medications; those who are younger, and those who typically attend general practice quarterly or more, were associated most with this disruption (p<0.05). Fifty-nine instances where a new health concern was subject to an appointment cancellation or rescheduling were reported. Conclusions: Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, Irish general practice has maintained its schedule for appointments in 78% of cases despite the challenges of the pandemic. Half of consultations were provided virtually; teleconsultation use was very infrequent. Maintaining the supply chain for long-term medications for patients remains a challenge during a pandemic. Authors accept that study participants were confined to those who use social media. A protocol may need to be designed by each practice to optimize the continuation of care and of medication schedules during any future pandemics.