Why do GPs rarely do video consultations? qualitative study in UK general practice

The article by Greenhalgh¹ provides some analysis on the use of video-consultation in general practice, but there are two main things to be considered that are not part of their assessment:

It is implied NHS England was looking for video adoption in general practice as part of the pandemic when actually, there have been considerable efforts to improve the use of information technology (IT) in general practice, not only facilitating remote consultations by video but also through e-consulations, through interactions by e-mail and web-forms on practices websites. It was part of the Prime Minister Challenge Fund² although it was linked also to the provision of extended access outside normal hours of practice.

The second important issue, and related to the above, is the fact that general practice does not seem to engage sufficiently with IT advancements. Unfortunately, clinicians seem to have very little appetite to expand their medical knowledge to other areas that could facilitate their own work. It is not only about facilitating access using other forms of communication, which is always feared as a source of increased workload, but it is about the use of the electronic health records, the Problem Lists and the clinical coding so when patients are seen by others who know them less, they can get a clear picture of the person they are dealing with. Furthermore, embedded clinical decision tools that could be used in the clinical software are entirely dependent on the accuracy of coded entries, not on the favoured old fashioned free text.

Education of new GPs is faulty, is dependent on trainers attached to the past, not willing to commit to new ways of working, and in consequence, the situation is going to remain unchanged and unchallenged unless more drastic actions are taken.