Study has shown that doctors often miss non-verbal cues and are unable to establish relationships with their patients by phone.
Remote consultations – both phone and video calls – were rapidly rolled out during the pandemic to curb the spread of Covid.
There were concerns about missed symptoms for cancer and the treatment waiting list grew to 6 million.
A team led by King’s College London reviewed 77 research papers from five countries, including the UK, which looked at mental health care provided by phone and video calls in the pandemic.
The researchers found that remote consultations were a good way for patients to get support but also presented some difficulties.
This was due to difficulties in recognizing non-verbal clues that may have been noticed during an individual visit and difficulty building a therapeutic relationship.
Stock photo of an old patient talking to her doctor via video conference. Remote consultations – both phone and video calls – were rapidly rolled out during the pandemic to curb the spread of Covid
Remote care was also considered less acceptable by certain groups. This included new patients and those who struggle with the internet.
Study author Professor Sonia Johnson, from University College London, told the Journal of Medical Internet Research: ‘A commonly reported issue was access to technology.
“Problems, such as an interrupted or unstable internet connection could adversely impact on the therapeutic relationship.
‘We also found concerns raised by both clinicians and service users regarding safety, privacy and confidentiality in remote care, especially concerning if someone lived with an abuser.’
Karen Machin, of the National Institute for Health Research, said: ‘My biggest concern about remote care is that while we focus on the many advantages it might bring for some people and services, the challenges and problems may get minimised or overlooked.’