Emergency care via video consultation: interviews on patient experiences from rural community hospitals in northern Sweden.

Abstract

Background: Delivering emergency care in rural areas can be challenging, but video consultation (VC) offers opportunities to make healthcare more accessible. The communication and relationship between professionals and patients have a significant impact on the patient's experience of safety and inclusion. Understanding the patient perspective is crucial to developing good quality healthcare, but little is known about patient experiences of emergency care via VC in a rural context. The aim of this study was to explore patient experiences of emergency care via VC in northern rural Sweden.

Methods: Using a qualitative approach, semi- structured interviews (n = 12) were conducted with individuals aged 18-89 who had received emergency care with a registered nurse (RN) on site and VC with a general practitioner (GP). The interviews were conducted between October 2021 and March 2023 at community hospitals (n = 7) in Västerbotten County, Sweden. Interviews were analysed with content analysis.

Results: The analysis resulted in main categories (n = 2), categories (n = 5) and subcategories (n = 20). In the main category, "We were a team of three", patients described a sense of inclusion and ability to contribute. The patients perceived the interaction between the GP and RN to function well despite being geographically dispersed. Patients highly valued the opportunity to speak directly to the GP. In the main category, "VC was a two-sided coin", some experienced the emergency care through VC to be effective and smooth, while some felt that they received a lower quality of care and preferred face-to-face consultation with the GP. The quality of the VC was highly dependent on the RN's ability to function as the hub in the emergency room.

Conclusion: Patients in rural areas perceived being included in 'the team' during VC, however they experienced disadvantages with the system on individual basis. The nursing profession plays an important role, and a proper educational background is crucial to support RNs in their role as the hub of the visit. The GP's presence via VC was seen as important, but to fully enable them to fulfil their commitments as medical professionals, VC needs to be further improved with education and support from technical devices.