Factors Associated With the Availability of Virtual Consultations in Primary Care Across 20 Countries: Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Background: Virtual consultations represent a notable change in health care delivery following the COVID-19 pandemic. Understanding the dynamics of virtual consultations is critical in assessing health care system resilience and adaptability in times of crisis. Objective: This study aimed to describe the availability and hours of use of telephone, video, and human chat consultations before and during the COVID-19 pandemic period, and identify factors associated with their availability. Methods: Primary care physicians (PCPs) from 20 upper-middle– and high-income countries completed a cross-sectional web-based survey in 2020. Factors associated with availability were investigated using chi-square tests and effect size (ES) estimates calculated using Cramer V. Results: A total of 1370 PCPs were included in this study (85.4% of the total sample of 1605). Telephone consultations were the most frequently available type of virtual consultations before and during the pandemic (73.1% and 90.4%, respectively). Significant increases in availability and use were observed during the pandemic for all the types of virtual consultations. The largest absolute increase in availability was observed for video consultations (39.5%), followed by telephone (17.3%) and chat (8.6%; all P