Photo Credit: Drazen Zigic

The following is a summary of “Emergency care via video consultation: interviews on patient experiences from rural community hospitals in northern Sweden,” published in the September 2024 issue of Emergency Medicine by Ärlebrant et al.

Video consultation (VC) in healthcare offers a promising solution for providing accessible emergency care in rural areas. However, its effectiveness in ensuring patient safety and inclusion remains an area of ongoing research.

Researchers conducted a retrospective study to examine patient experiences of emergency care via VC in northern rural Sweden.

They conducted (n=12) interviews of individuals aged 18—89 with emergency care received from a registered nurse (RN) on-site and via VC with a general practitioner (GP). The interviews  (n = 7) were conducted between October 2021 and March 2023 at community hospitals in Västerbotten County, Sweden, and were analyzed using content analysis.

The results showed 2 main categories (n = 2), 5 categories (n = 5), and 20 subcategories (n = 20). The 1st main category, “We were a team of three,” reflected patients’ feelings of inclusion and their ability to contribute. Despite their geographical separation, they found an interaction between the GP and RN effective and highly valued the chance to speak directly with the GP. The 2nd main category, “VC was a two-sided coin,” emphasized mixed experiences with emergency care via VC. While some patients experienced the VC as effective, others felt it showed lower-quality care and chose face-to-face consultations with the GP. The significance of the VC was particularly impacted by the RN’s role as the central figure in the emergency room.

They concluded that patients in rural areas felt included in VC-based healthcare; the nursing profession played a crucial role in ensuring successful consultations, highlighting the need for robust education and support for RNs.

Source: intjem.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12245-024-00703-4