Media depictions of primary care teleconsultation safety: a thematic analysis of UK newspapers

Abstract

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic necessitated the widespread roll-out of teleconsultations across primary care services in the UK. The media’s depiction of remote consultations, especially regarding their safety, is not well established. These insights are important: newspapers’ coverage of healthcare-related news can influence public perception, national policy, and clinicians’ job satisfaction.AimTo explore how the national newspapers in the UK depicted both the direct and indirect consequences of the remote-first approach on patient safety.Design and settingWe performed thematic analysis of newspaper articles that discussed patient safety in primary care teleconsultations, which were published between 21 January 2021 and 22 April 2022.MethodWe identified relevant articles using the LexisNexis Academic UK database. We categorised data from these articles into codes before developing these into emergent themes through an iterative process.ResultsAcross the 57 articles identified, the main safety concern identified was missed and/or delayed diagnoses over tele-appointment(s), while isolated cases of inappropriate prescribing were also reported. The media reported that the transition to a remote-first approach reduced the accessibility to primary care appointments for some groups (especially patients with lower digital literacy or access) and heightened the burden on other healthcare services; in particular, there were reports of patient care being compromised across NHS emergency departments.ConclusionThe print media predominantly reported negative impacts of remote consultations on patient safety, particularly involving missed and/ or delayed diagnoses. Our work highlights the importance of further exploration into the safety of remote consultations, and the impact of erroneous media reporting on policies and policymakers.