Researchers from the University of Cambridge, University of Birmingham and other U.K.-based hospitals and universities launched a study to gauge clinicians' and patients' perception of virtual visits, according to a Nov. 2 report published in Oxford Academic.
For the study, researchers surveyed 1,340 patients and 111 clinicians between April and July. Ninety-six percent of study participants are from the United Kingdom, 32 percent have inflammatory arthritis and 32 percent have lupus.
Three study insights:
- Ninety-three percent of clinicians and 86 percent of patients said the accuracy of virtual visits was inferior to those of in-office visits. Misdiagnoses, among other inaccuracies, were frequently reported and attributed to the absence of exams and visual cues, according to the report.
- Ninety percent of clinicians and 69 percent of patients said telehealth was worse than in-person visits when it came to building trust. Clinicians cited nonverbal communication and being unable to use a reassuring touch with patients as top reasons virtual care disrupted trust between clinicians and patients. Patients said telehealth was more impersonal than in-person visits and that they were more likely to feel like a statistic or uncared for, according to the report.
- About 50 percent of clinicians and patients said clinicians were worse at listening during virtual visits, while fewer than 10 percent said clinicians were better at listening in virtual visits.