Could technology transform GP consultations?
The way we interact with our GPs could be transformed thanks to a new £458,000 project exploring whether consultations could be conducted via email, text message, telephone or via the internet.
A group of researchers from the Universities of Bristol, Oxford, Edinburgh and Exeter have received funding from the National Institute for Health Research to investigate whether there are alternatives to face-to-face consultations that will not only reduce GP workload but also benefit patients.
The research aims to learn lessons about the perceived advantages and disadvantages of alternatives to face-to-face consultations, and why these alternatives have not been used more widely in general practice.