Informing NHS policy in ‘digital-first primary care’: a rapid evidence synthesis

Abstract

Informing NHS policy in ‘digital-first primary care’: a rapid evidence synthesis Mark Rodgerso ,* Gary Raineo , Sian Thomaso , Melissa Hardeno and Alison Eastwoodo Centre for Reviews and Dissemination, University of York, York, UK *Corresponding author mark.rodgers@york.ac.uk Background: In ‘digital-first primary care’ models of health-care delivery, a patient’s first point of contact with a general practitioner or other health professional is through a digital channel, rather than a face-to-face consultation. Patients are able to access advice and treatment remotely from their home or workplace via a number of different technologies. Objectives: This rapid responsive evidence synthesis was undertaken to inform NHS England policy in ‘digital-first primary care’. It was conducted in two stages: (1) scoping the published evidence and (2) addressing a refined set of questions produced by NHS England from the evidence retrieved during