Assessment of e-visits within the Family Practice setting in British Columbia 2013/2014
Primary research questions:
1. Do telehealth services (e-visits) in British Columbia (BC) substitute or complement existing patterns of primary health care?
2. How does the primary health care utilization pattern of patients accessing e-visits differ from similar patients?
a) Do e-visit services providers refer to medical and surgical specialists? (or do they refer back to regular general practitioners)?
b) Do e-visit services providers initiate prescriptions for long-term medications? (or do they only do medication refills)?
c) Do e-visit service providers order lab tests suggestive of longitudinal patient management (e.g. Hemoglobin A1c, Albumin:Creatinine Ratio, lipid profiles)?
d) Are there visit-specific conditions that are well indicated to improving access for visits related to types of diagnosis(family practice consultation, sexually transmitted infections, or mental health)?
Secondary research question:
1. What are the demographic characteristics of patients utilizing e-visits and the clinicians providing this service in the province of BC?
Hypotheses:
1. Telehealth services (e-visits) in British Columbia (BC) complement existing patterns of primary health care.
2a. E-visit service providers do refer to medical and surgical specialists.
2b. E-visit service providers do initiate prescriptions for long-term medications.
2c. E-visit service providers order lab tests suggestive of longitudinal patient management.
2d. There are visit specific conditions for which improved access via e-visits is well indicated.
3. Demographic characteristics of patients utilizing e-visits and the clinicians providing this service in the province of BC are similar to their counterparts.
Journal Publication
- McGrail KM, Ahuja MA, Leaver C. Virtual visits and patient-centered care: Results of a patient survey and observational study. Journal of Medical Internet Research. 19(5): e177. 2017. FA
Presentation of research material (poster/seminar/lecture etc.)
- Leaver C, McGrail KM. An assessment of virtual visits in British Columbia. [panel presentation]. Annual ehealth conference. Vancouver, BC. 7 June 2016.
- Virtual visits: Friend or foe of patient-centred care? Canada Health Infoway CIO Forum, Vancouver, BC. 8 February 2017.
Virtual visits: Friend or foe of patient-centred care? Telfer School of Management, University of Ottawa. Ottawa, ON. 3 February 2017.
Virtual visits: Friend or foe of patient-centred care? UBC School of Population and Public Health Rounds, Vancouver, BC. 8 December 2017.
- Virtual visits in Canada. Webinar hosted by HealthDirect Australia. 28 March 2017