Quality Indicators for Video Consultations in Primary Care - a Scoping Review

Abstract

Aim The German ban on remote treatment was relaxed in 2018. The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic ultimately ensured a surge in the implementation of video consultations as part of telemedicine in primary care. However, the question of how the quality of this form of care is represented is currently unanswered. The aim of this review was to identify criteria for assessing the quality of video consultations in primary care. Methods As part of this review, a literature search was carried out in the databases PubMed, Web of Science, Google Scholar, Open Gray and Google. We searched for literature on quality criteria or quality indicators for telemedicine. German and English-language literature was included, there was no limit on publication date. Results A total of 14 publications were included in the review. Out of the quality criteria identified, 13 quality indicators were derived. Of these, seven were for structural quality, two for process quality and four indicators for outcome quality. For instance, the switch to face-to-face treatment for those cases for which it was required, staff qualifications and access to this type of care were identified as possible indicators. Conclusion The quality indicators proposed in this article enable a structured evaluation of the quality of video consultations in primary care through their measurability. Further development of these indicators in order to define threshold values for the stated goals appears to be warranted.