Access to the digital NHS is not much of a problem in Wales

Digital NHS Wales: a coding reliability analysis based on the voices of 22 978 patients and clinicians on the benefits, challenges and sustainability of video consulting

“…This is in combination with difficulties surrounding engagement, particularly with children via VC and issues with digital ability across clinician and patient populations. Although there were disparities of digital ability that sometimes hindered a VC appointment, and suggestive of a digital divide, in this data set and the wider evaluation21 we did not find this to be the case. The quantitative findings that run alongside these data provide additional support, specifically regarding patient representation, concluding that regardless of patient age, gender, ethnicity, household income, health condition, disability or place (urban vs rural), VC can provide a high standard of healthcare delivery across Wales 18 21 22.…”

‘In the circumstances I think we've all managed really well’ an exploration of the impact of the COVID‐19 restrictions on a Child Development Advisor (Portage) Service

“…A concerning trend that emerged from the interviews was that of a digital barrier to accessing support. The CDAs made claims in line with previous research that a high‐quality internet connection was required for virtual consultations to be effective (Johns et al, 2020 ; Olsen et al, 2012 ), yet not all the families they worked with had access to basic, let alone high‐quality internet. The sole use of virtual consultations, therefore, resulted in some families being ‘cut‐off’ from accessing the service (Aishworiya & Kang, 2021 ), and potentially worsening health inequalities (Blackburn et al, 2020 ).…”

“…Johns et al ( 2020 ) found that, in general, professionals had a more negative outlook on the use of virtual working than patients. Therefore, it is important to capture the views of families who received Portage support during the COVID‐19 in future studies to capture a more balanced viewpoint on the impact of the restrictions.…”

“…Video consultations have several benefits, including a reduction in travel time and costs for clients and clinicians (Kilvert et al, 2020 ; Olsen et al, 2012 ; Wherton & Greenhalgh, 2020 ), and increased appointment flexibility (Kilvert et al, 2020 ). They have also been found to be suitable for a variety of clinical appointments (Hammersley et al, 2019 ; Johns et al, 2020 ).…”

“…However, there are several problems with video consultations, with technological issues being the most frequently reported throughout the literature. There are a wide range of potential technological issues when using video consultation, including freezing, poor picture quality and audio and video being out of sync (Johns et al, 2020 ). Research suggests that the frequency of technological issues during COVID‐19 restrictions varied between 73% of 37 consultations (Kilvert et al, 2020 ) and 24% of 139 participants (Wherton & Greenhalgh, 2020 ).…”