• Pascual Roig Cabo, Francesc López Seguí, Rosa María Sierra Lujan, Gemma Seda Gombau, Nemesio Moreno Millán, and Pere Torán Monserrat.
• EAP El Masnou-Alella, Institut Català de la Salut, Masnou, Barcelona, España. Electronic address: proig.bnm.ics@gencat.cat.
• Aten Primaria. 2021 Oct 1; 53 (8): 102070102070.

ObjectiveA «before and after» type observational study was carried out to assess the impact of the virtual consultation (eConsulta) on the frequency with which the patient visits their primary care center once they have had their first virtual consultation.SettingAssigned population of the primary care center of Masnou-Alella and Ocata-Teià, Catalan Health Institute.ParticipantsA random sampling was performed and 329 patients who engaged in eConsulta were compared with 329 statistically similar patients in age, sex and medical complexity who did not engage in eConsulta.Principal MediationsVisits with primary care and nursing in their team are measured, both face-to-face, telephone and eConsulta, over the study period.ResultsPatients who performed virtual consultations showed a previous frequent attendance in primary care higher than those who did not perform eConsulta (4.44 medical visits year/versus 3.11). Following the use of the eConsulta, after a year of follow-up, frequency was reduced to levels of the control group (3.16 medical visits/year versus 3.00). After the first virtual visit, patients reduced face-to-face visits by 28.7%.ConclusionsThe eConsulta could be an effective tool to respond to the needs of patients who do not require a face-to-face visit, especially in the most frequent patients.Copyright © 2021 The Author(s). Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

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