Teleconsultations - Virtual Medical Visits

Teleconsultations involve remote consultations between healthcare providers and patients using telecommunication technology. They allow for virtual medical visits, follow-ups, and discussions without the need for in-person appointments.

Teleconsultations FAQ

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What is a teleconsultation?

Teleconsultations are outpatient appointments using videoconferencing equipment to involve live interaction among geographically separated people. It is a component of the broader concept of telemedicine, which also includes remote patient monitoring and store-and forward telemedicine .

Can teleconsultations improve health care?

Teleconsultations have the potential to improve access to medical care and reduce travel and costs for patients while maintaining the quality of care [ 3 ]. The NHS’s recently published Long-Term Plan has set out a vision of how to transform outpatient care using technology.

What is medical teleconsultation?

According to the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, medical teleconsultations using various technologies have become an important tool to mediate communication between general practitioners (GP) and the patients in primary health care in many countries.

Are teleconsultations acceptable?

Generally, teleconsultations were acceptable to patients, but this was less consistent among health care professionals. However, among both groups, face-to-face consultations were still seen as the gold standard.

Who participated in teleconsultations?

Participants Patients and GPs participated in teleconsultations at the primary care practice, while the cardiologist participated from the referral hospital. Patients and caregivers were recruited for interviews from all six family health units in person and via telephone with the collaboration of GPs.