Gaps to Best Practices for Teleconsultations Performed by General Practitioners: A Descriptive Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic led to large increases in telemedicine activity worldwide. This rapid growth, however, may have impacted the quality of care where compliance with guidelines and best practices are concerned. The aim of this study was to describe the recent practices of a telemedicine activity (teleconsultations) and the breaches of best practice guidelines committed by general practitioners (GPs) in the Greater Eastern Region of France. A cross-sectional study was conducted using a 33-item questionnaire and was provided to the Regional Association of Healthcare Professionals, Union Régionale des Professionnels de Santé (URPS) to be shared amongst the GPs. Between April and June 2021, a total of 233 responses were received, showing that (i) by practicing telemedicine in an urban area, (ii) performing a teleconsultation at the patient’s initiative, and (iii) carrying out more than five teleconsultations per week were factors associated with a significantly higher level of best practices in telemedicine. All in all, roughly a quarter of GPs (25.3%, n = 59) had a self-declared good telemedicine practice, and the rules of good practice are of heterogeneous application. Despite the benefits of learning on the job for teleconsultation implementation during the COVID-19 lockdowns, there may be a clear need to develop structured and adapted telemedicine training programs for private practice GPs.