Ruth Parker|Emma L Figures|Charlotte Paddison|James Matheson|David Blane|John Ford
Inequalities in general practice remote consultations: a systematic review
University of Cambridge|Marymount University|Nuffield Trust|Royal College of General Practitioners|Primary Health Care|University of Glasgow|Public Health Department|University of Cambridge
covid19 led rapid widespread use remote consultations general practice health inequalities impact remains unknownto explore impact remote consultations general practice compared facetoface consultations utilisation clinical outcomes across socioeconomic disadvantaged groupssystematic reviewthe authors undertook electronic search medline embase web science inception june 2020 study included studies compared remote consultations facetoface consultations primary care reported outcomes progress plus criteria risk bias assessed using robinsi data synthesised narrativelybased 13 studies explored telephone internetbased consultations review found telephone consultations used younger people working age old nonimmigrants internetbased consultations likely used younger people women consistently used remote forms consulting men socioeconomic ethnicity findings mixed weak evidence patients affluent areas likely use internetbased communication remote consultations appeared help patients opioid dependence remain engaged primary care studies reported impact quality care clinical outcomesremote consultations general practice likely used younger working people nonimmigrants older patients women internetbased consultations younger affluent educated groups widespread use remote consultations treated caution inequalities impact clinical outcomes quality care known