• Kate J Lifford, Detelina Grozeva, Rebecca Cannings-John, Harriet Quinn-Scoggins, Yvonne Moriarty, Ardiana Gjini, Mark Goddard, Julie Hepburn, Jacqueline Hughes, Graham Moore, Kirstie Osborne, Michael Robling, Julia Townson, Jo Waller, Victoria Whitelock, Katriina L Whitaker, and Kate Brain.
• PRIME Centre Wales, Division of Population Medicine, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff.
• Br J Gen Pract. 2024 Feb 1; 74 (739): e96e103e96-e103.

BackgroundMode of access to primary care changed during the COVID-19 pandemic; remote consultations became more widespread. With remote consultations likely to continue in UK primary care, it is important to understand people's perceptions of remote consultations and identify potential resulting inequalities.AimTo assess satisfaction with remote GP consultations in the UK during the COVID-19 pandemic and identify demographic variation in satisfaction levels.Design And SettingA cross-sectional survey from the second phase of a large UK-based study, which was conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic.MethodIn total, 1426 adults who self-reported having sought help from their doctor in the past 6 months completed an online questionnaire (February to March 2021). Items included satisfaction with remote consultations and demographic variables. Associations were analysed using multivariable regression.ResultsA novel six-item scale of satisfaction with remote GP consultations had good psychometric properties. Participants with higher levels of education had significantly greater satisfaction with remote consultations than participants with mid-level qualifications (B = -0.82, 95% confidence interval [CI] = -1.41 to -0.23) or those with low or no qualifications (B = -1.65, 95% CI = -2.29 to -1.02). People living in Wales reported significantly higher satisfaction compared with those living in Scotland (B = -1.94, 95% CI = -3.11 to -0.78), although caution is warranted due to small group numbers.ConclusionThese findings can inform the use and adaptation of remote consultations in primary care. Adults with lower educational levels may need additional support to improve their experience and ensure equitable care via remote consultations.© The Authors.

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