ReviewThe British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners2015
Digital communication between clinician and patient and the impact on marginalised groups: a realist review in general practice.
Review in The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners, 2015. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 50 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
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.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
50 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- The impact of remote care approaches on continuity in primary care: a mixed-studies systematic review.The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners · 2023Pooled it
- Smartphone Apps for the Treatment of Mental Disorders: Systematic Review.JMIR mHealth and uHealth · 2020Pooled it
- Adherence to Electronic Health Tools Among Vulnerable Groups: Systematic Literature Review and Meta-Analysis.Journal of medical Internet research · 2020Pooled it
- Implementation of electronic signposting to interventions that prevent cancer: A realist review.PLOS digital health · 2026Article
- Factors Associated With Digital Health Literacy in the United Kingdom: Cross-Sectional Online Survey.Journal of medical Internet research · 2026Article
- A scoping review of how the candidacy framework has been used in research on access to general practice.Journal of health services research & policy · 2026Article
- Older Chinese migrants' experiences of remote primary care in England: a semi-structured interview study.BJGP open · 2026Article
- Article
- Digital Health Innovation by Design: A Logic Model Scaffold for Rural, Regional, and Remote Settings.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2025Article
- Article
- Differences in use of telemedicine integrated into traditional primary health care - a comparative observational study.Scandinavian journal of primary health care · 2025Observational
- The impact of health and technology shifts on antibiotic use among the elderly in Thailand.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- Social and Ethical Aspects of Remote and Hybrid Care in the Special Allocation Scheme in general practice (SEARCH): A mixed methods feasibility study protocol.NIHR open research · 2025Article
- Telehealth for primary healthcare delivery in rural and remote contexts in high-income countries-a scoping review.mHealth · 2025Review
- Optimising digital clinical consultations in maternity care: a realist review and implementation principles.BMJ open · 2024Review
- Exploring the Importance of Race and Gender Concordance Between Patients and Physical Therapists in Digital Rehabilitation for Musculoskeletal Conditions: Observational, Longitudinal Study.Journal of medical Internet research · 2024Observational
- An integrated primary care service to reduce cardiovascular disease risk in people with severe mental illness: Primrose-A - thematic analysis of its acceptability, feasibility, and implementation.BMC health services research · 2024Article
- A cross-sectional study of opinion about mental illness among undergraduate medical students with and without exposure to the psychiatry clinical rotation/postings during their undergraduate training.Indian journal of psychiatry · 2023Article
- Health equity related challenges and experiences during the rapid implementation of virtual care during COVID-19: a multiple case study.International journal for equity in health · 2023Article
- The Cultural Adaption of a Sobriety Support App for Alaska Native and American Indian People: Qualitative Feasibility and Acceptability Study.JMIR formative research · 2023Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundIncreasingly, the NHS is embracing the use of digital communication technology for communication between clinicians and patients. Policymakers deem digital clinical communication as presenting a solution to the capacity issues currently faced by general practice. There is some concern that these technologies may exacerbate existing inequalities in accessing health care. It is not known what impact they may have on groups who are already marginalised in their ability to access general practice.
aimTo assess the potential impact of the availability of digital clinician-patient communication on marginalised groups' access to general practice in the UK. DESIGN AND
settingRealist review in general practice.
methodA four-step realist review process was used: to define the scope of the review; to search for and scrutinise evidence; to extract and synthesise evidence; and to develop a narrative, including hypotheses.
resultsDigital communication has the potential to overcome the following barriers for marginalised groups: practical access issues, previous negative experiences with healthcare service/staff, and stigmatising reactions from staff and other patients. It may reduce patient-related barriers by offering anonymity and offers advantages to patients who require an interpreter. It does not impact on inability to communicate with healthcare professionals or on a lack of candidacy. It is likely to work best in the context of a pre-existing clinician-patient relationship.
conclusionDigital communication technology offers increased opportunities for marginalised groups to access health care. However, it cannot remove all barriers to care for these groups. It is likely that they will remain disadvantaged relative to other population groups after their introduction.
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Registered trials
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.