GPs have ‘smoother transition’ to digital first in lockdown

eHealthNews.nz: Covid-19

GPs have ‘smoother transition’ to digital first in lockdown

Wednesday, 18 August 2021

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NEWS - eHealthNews.nz editor Rebecca McBeth

An overnight switch to a digital first approach for patient consultations has been a “smoother transition” for GPs this time around, says Royal NZ College of GPs president Samantha Murton.

The move into Alert Level 4 nationwide means general practices are doing consultations remotely, via phone or video, where possible to help reduce the spread of Covid-19.

Murton says most practices have increased their capability in the telehealth space over the past 18-months.

“Using phone consultations and triage calls has become part of the norm and patients have found it quite useful as well,” she tells eHealthNews.nz.

Some areas are much more streamlined than others, particularly in Auckland, which has experienced the majority of alert level changes since the pandemic began.

“The first time we did this it was such a sudden change, but it’s become such a common thing that people don’t feel it’s too hard anymore.”

Processes that support telehealth, such as electronic prescribing, have also been widely picked up by GPs. Around 900 practices are now activated to use the NZ ePrescription Service, compared to 700 in June 2020 and just 137 in December 2018.

Murton says phone calls are still widely used in place of in-person appointments, but most practices now have some video conferencing also available.

“People have got more used to it and feel it’s part of their toolbox for seeing patients face to face,” she explains.

However, the need for data to support video calls is still a barrier for some patients.

Murton says the cost of switching to digital also continues to be a challenge for practices and government funding for telehealth has not been sufficient.

“It’s all the back-office support needed to support telehealth appointments, such as invoicing, that needs to be established and which some of us have worked on in the last 18-months and others have gone back to their norm,” she says.

Many practices have upgraded their IT to support telehealth appointments, but for smaller practices the cost can be prohibitive.

“It’s one of those infrastructure things where it needs to happen, but resources for it are pretty limited,” says Murton.