ArticleThe British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners2022
Unintended consequences of online consultations: a qualitative study in UK primary care.
Article in The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 66 papers, 5 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
66 citing papers in PubMed, 5 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- The Impact of Digitalization on European General Practice From the Perspective of General Practitioners: Systematic Review.Journal of medical Internet research · 2026Pooled it
- Patient-facing online triage tools and clinician decision-making: a systematic review.BMJ open · 2025Pooled it
- A theory-based analysis of the implementation of online asynchronous telemedicine platforms into primary care practices using Normalisation Process Theory.BMC primary care · 2025Pooled it
- Pooled it
- Understanding How the Design and Implementation of Online Consultations Affect Primary Care Quality: Systematic Review of Evidence With Recommendations for Designers, Providers, and Researchers.Journal of medical Internet research · 2022Pooled it
- User evaluation of AI- and human-generated responses in digital health communication: a paired survey study.BMC health services research · 2026Article
- Recommendations for developing asynchronous online consultations for chlamydia treatment for underserved populations: a Behaviour Change Wheel analysis.Sexually transmitted infections · 2026Article
- Virtual Consultations for People With Intellectual Disabilities in General Practice and Community Care: Mixed Methods Qualitative Study.Journal of medical Internet research · 2026Article
- Less continuity with more complaints: a repeated cross-sectional study of the association between relational continuity of care and patient complaints in English general practice.BMJ quality & safety · 2026Article
- Choreographing Triage: Making Patient Requests 'Flow' Through Digitally Enabled Systems of Access and Decision-Making in NHS Primary Care.Sociology of health & illness · 2026Article
- Remote Access to Primary Care: Theorising 'Care Navigation'.Sociology of health & illness · 2026Article
- Older Chinese migrants' experiences of remote primary care in England: a semi-structured interview study.BJGP open · 2026Article
- Article
- Sociodemographic disparities in primary care management of back pain in children and young people: a population-based cohort study.European spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society · 2026Article
- Access to general practice appointments and sustainable change: a focused ethnographic case study.The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners · 2026Article
- The use of online consultation tools for common mental health conditions in UK primary care: a qualitative interview study of patient and practitioner perspectives.BMC primary care · 2026Article
- Communication Challenges and Mitigation Strategies in Primary Care Virtual Consultations: Qualitative Study.Journal of medical Internet research · 2026Article
- Primary care consultation modality and acute mental health service use in adults.Nature. Mental health · 2026Article
- GPs' perceptions of digital technology for behavior change interventions for community-dwelling older adults: a cross-sectional study.Frontiers in public health · 2026Article
- Digital first primary care in NHS England: evaluating alignment with patient-centered care and implications for future practice.Frontiers in digital health · 2026Review
6 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
15 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundHealth services are increasingly using digital tools to deliver care, and online consultations are being widely adopted in primary care settings. The intended consequences of online consultations are to increase patient access to care and increase the efficiency of care.
aimTo identify and understand the unintended consequences of online consultations in primary care. DESIGN AND
settingQualitative interview study in eight general practices using online consultation tools in South West and North West England between February 2019 and January 2020.
methodThematic analysis of semi-structured interviews with 19 patients and 18 general practice staff.
resultsConsequences of online consultations were identified that restricted patient access to care by making it difficult for some patients to communicate effectively with a GP and disadvantaging digitally-excluded patients. This stemmed from patient uncertainty about how their queries were dealt with, and whether practices used online consultations as their preferred method for patients to contact the practice. Consequences were identified that limited increases in practice efficiency by creating additional work, isolation, and dissatisfaction for some staff.
conclusionUnintended consequences often present operational challenges that are foreseeable and partly preventable. However, these challenges must be recognised and solutions resourced sufficiently. Not everyone may benefit and local decisions will need to be made about trade-offs. Process changes tailored to local circumstances are critical to making effective use of online consultation tools. Unintended consequences also present clinical challenges that result from asynchronous communication. Online consultation tools favour simple, well-formulated information exchange that leads to diffuse relationships and a more transactional style of medicine.
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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.