Virtual care: what works in practice
A new study in the Journal of Medical Internet Research, delivered with the University of Sydney and enabled by Sydney North Health Network, offers practical insights into how virtual care can be implemented in general practice and aged care.
Residents in aged care often face limited and delayed access to care due to GP shortages, outbreak restrictions, and difficulty involving families, which virtual consults can help address alongside in-person care.
What was explored:
- Evidence on virtual care models
- Simulation of virtual care delivery
- Input from GPs, clinicians, practice managers, aged care staff, carers and residents
Key takeaways:
- Implementation and workflow integration are critical
- Clinician confidence and training drive adoption
- Virtual care can improve access, particularly in aged care
- Models must be simple and fit for purpose
- Impact to the patient-doctor experience for some residents was observed, which should be studied further
Virtual care works best when it is embedded into everyday clinical practice and supported by the right systems and processes.
The findings will also inform next steps through the GRACE-VC study, which is examining virtual care models currently used across SNHN, South Eastern NSW (Coordinare) and Western NSW PHNs, in addition to developing best practice guidelines for policy makers, primary and residential aged care industries, PHNs and peak organisations.
The research was funded by the 2023 Medibank Better Health Foundation and RACGP Foundation Digital Health Grant.