Implementing video group consultations in general practice during COVID-19: a qualitative study (30 June 2022)

Summary

There has been an increase in the use of video group consultations (VGCs) by general practice staff, particularly since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, when in-person care was restricted. This qualitative study in the British Journal of General Practice aimed to examine the factors affecting how VGCs are designed and implemented in general practice.

Through semi-structured interviews with practice staff and patients, the authors found that:

• in the first year of the pandemic, VGCs focused on supporting those with long-term conditions or other shared health and social needs.
• most patients welcomed clinical and peer input, and the opportunity to access their practice remotely during lockdown.
• not everyone agreed to engage in group-based care or was able to access IT equipment.
• significant work was needed for practices to deliver VGCs, such as setting up the digital infrastructure, gaining team buy-in, developing new patient-facing online facilitation roles, managing background operational processes, protecting online confidentiality, and ensuring professional indemnity cover.
• national training was seen as instrumental in capacity building for VGC implementation.