Changing media depictions of remote consulting in COVID-19: analysis of UK newspapers

Gilly Mroz; Chrysanthi Papoutsi; Alex Rushforth; Trisha Greenhalgh

doi:10.3399/BJGP.2020.0967

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How this fits in

Remote consulting changed UK general practice overnight, resulting in new barriers to access and levels of care. This study explored how this change was portrayed in national newspapers over time. Early newspaper coverage of this change was largely positive and emphasised its necessity for safety reasons during the pandemic. Later coverage was more negative, raising concerns about quality and safety of care and digital inequalities.

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Table 1.

Number of published articles by newspaper and level of substance

Publication	Period 1 (2 March–31 May 2020), n			Period 2 (30 July–12 August 2020), n
Publication	Primary dataset^a	Secondary dataset^b	Total	Primary dataset^a	Secondary dataset^b	Total
Guardian	3	19	22	2	0	2
Times /Sunday Times	3	24	27	3	1	4
Telegraph /Sunday Telegraph	4	22	26	3	0	3
Independent	2	12	14	4	0	4
Daily Mail/Mail on Sunday	4	21	25	3	0	3
Sun	0	6	6	0	1	1
Mirror	0	4	4	1	0	1
Express	2	10	12	1	0	1
Voice	1	0	1	0	0	0
Total	19	118	137	17	2	19

↵a Articles where remote consulting was the main or a substantial focus.
↵b Articles where remote consulting was mentioned but not a major focus.

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Table 2.

Coding table for period 1 (2 March–31 May 2020)

	G 6 Mar	DM 10 Mar	Ti 10 Mar	E 11 Mar	G 11 Mar	E 14 Mar	Te 15 Mar	I 16 Mar	Ti 17 Mar	DM 31 Mar	Ti 4 Apr	Te 6 Apr	V 9 Apr	DM 14 Apr	I 15 Apr	G 19 Apr	DM 2 May	Te 22 May	Te 25 May	Total
Reasons for change	X	X	X	X	—	X	X	X	X	X	—	—	X	—	—	—	—	—	X	11

Technology
Bespoke innovations	X	X	—	X	X	—	—	X	—	X	—	X	X	—	X	—	—	—	X	10
Generic (Zoom, Skype)	—	—	—	X	X	X	—	—	—	—	—	—	X	X	—	—	—	X	X	7
Generic (WhatsApp)	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	0

Metaphors
War, crusade	X	X	—	X	—	—	—	X	—	—	—	—	—	X	X	—	—	—	—	6
Revolution	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	X	X	—	—	X	3

Change
Has been rapid	—	—	X	—	X	—	—	X	—	—	X	—	—	—	X	X	X	—	X	8
Need to modernise the NHS	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	0

Tensions
Benefits of remote	X	X	X	X	X	X	—	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	—	X	17
Positive patient experience	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	X	X	2
Concerns about remote	X	—	—	X	—	X	X	—	X	X	X	—	—	X	—	X	X	—	X	11
Negative patient experience	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	X	1

DM = Daily Mail. E = Express. G = Guardian. I = Independent. Te = Telegraph. Ti = Times. V = Voice.

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Table 3.

Coding table for period 2 (30 July–12 August 2020)

	G (a)^a 30 Jul	I 30 Jul	G (b)^a 30 Jul	DM 30 Jul	Te 30 Jul	Ti 30 Jul	Ti (a)^a 31 Jul	I 31 Jul	Te (a)^a 31 Jul	DM 31 Jul	Ti (b)^a 31 Jul	E 31 Jul	Te (b)^a 31 Jul	I 1 Aug	DMir 1 Aug	DM 2 Aug	I 4 Aug	Total
Reasons for change	—	—	X	X	—	—	—	X	—	—	—	X	—	—	—	X	—	5

Technology
Bespoke innovations	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	X	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	1
Generic (Zoom, Skype)	—	—	—	X	—	—	X	—	X	—	X	X	X	X	X	—	—	8
Generic (WhatsApp)	—	X	—	X	X	X	—	—	—	—	—	X	—	—	—	—	—	5

Metaphors
War, crusade	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	X	—	—	—	—	—	1
Revolution	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	X	—	—	—	—	1

Change
Has been rapid	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	0
Need to modernise the NHS	—	—	—	—	—	—	X	—	X	X	X	—	X	—	—	—	—	5

Tensions
Benefits of remote	X	X	X	X	—	X	X	X	—	X	—	—	X	X	—	—	—	10
Positive patient experience	—	—	X	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	X	—	—	2
Concerns about remote	X	X	X	X	—	—	X	X	X	X	—	X	X	X	—	—	—	11
Negative patient experience	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	X	—	X	X	3

↵a (a) and (b) used to distinguish between articles published in the same publication on the same date. DM = Daily Mail. DMir = Daily Mirror. E = Express. G = Guardian. I = Independent. Te = Telegraph. Ti = Times.