ArticleThe British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners2013
Experiences of using email for general practice consultations: a qualitative study.
Article in The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners, 2013. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 28 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
28 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Family physician perspectives on managing indirect patient care activities in the electronic inbox: a systematic mixed studies review.Family practice · 2025Pooled it
- What patients want from access to UK general practice: systematic review.The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners · 2025Pooled it
- The impact of eHealth use on general practice workload in the pre-COVID-19 era: a systematic review.BMC health services research · 2024Pooled it
- Trial
- Understanding Older Adults' Experiences With a Digital Health Platform in General Practice: Qualitative Interview Study.JMIR aging · 2024Article
- Redesigning primary care: Provider perspectives on the clinical utility of virtual visits.Canadian family physician Medecin de famille canadien · 2023Article
- Use of a pharmacy-based GP video consultation service: a mixed methods study.Family practice · 2023Article
- Who is Facing Higher Increased Demand After the Online-Offline Channel Integration? Evidence from Public Hospitals in China.Risk management and healthcare policy · 2023Article
- Article
- Examining GP online consultation in a primary care setting in east midlands, UK.BMC health services research · 2021Article
- COVID-19 and beyond: virtual consultations in primary care-reflecting on the evidence base for implementation and ensuring reach: commentary article.BMJ health & care informatics · 2021Article
- Email Consultations Between Patients and Doctors in Primary Care: Content Analysis.Journal of medical Internet research · 2020Article
- Article
- Article
- Primary Care Doctor Characteristics That Determine the Use of Teleconsultations in the Catalan Public Health System: Retrospective Descriptive Cross-Sectional Study.JMIR medical informatics · 2020Article
- Electronic Consultation in Primary Care Between Providers and Patients: Systematic Review.JMIR medical informatics · 2019Review
- Receptionists' role in new approaches to consultations in primary care: a focused ethnographic study.The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners · 2018Article
- Alternatives to the face-to-face consultation in general practice: focused ethnographic case study.The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners · 2018Article
- Observational
- Use of an electronic consultation system in primary care: a qualitative interview study.The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners · 2018Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundReports suggest approximately 21-23% of GPs in the UK have consulted with patients using email, but little is known about the nature of this use and what it means for clinicians and patients in general practice.
aimTo understand the use of email consultation in general practice by investigating the experiences of existing users and views of experts. DESIGN AND
settingA qualitative study conducted in 2010 using purposive sampling and semi-structured interviews in general practice and community settings in some London boroughs.
methodA maximum variation sample of GPs and patients who had used email for consultation in general practice were recruited, as were policy and/or implementation experts. Interviews continued until saturation was achieved.
resultsIn total 10 GPs, 14 patients, and six experts were interviewed. Consultation by email was often triggered by logistic or practical issues; motivators for ongoing use were the benefits, such as convenience, for GPs and patients. Both GPs and patients reported concerns about safety and lack of guidance about the 'rules of engagement' in email consultations, with GPs also concerned about workload. In response, both groups attempted to introduce their own rules, although this only went some way to addressing uncertainty. Long term, participants felt there was a need for regulation and guidance.
conclusionConsultations by email in general practice occur in an unregulated and unstructured way. Current UK policy is to promote consultations by email, making it crucial to consider the responsibility and workload faced by clinicians, and the changes required to ensure safe use; not doing so may risk safety breaches and result in suboptimal care for patients.
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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.