Patients’ experiences with receiving sick leave certificates via remote consultations in Norway during the COVID-19 pandemic: a nationwide online survey

Abstract

ObjectivesTo explore patients’ experiences with receiving sick leave certificates via remote consultations during the COVID-19 pandemic and investigate whether there were differences among the types of remote consultation (telephone, video or text).DesignA nationwide online patient survey consisting of quantitative data supplemented by qualitative opinions conducted in Norway.SettingPrimary care.ParticipantsPatients who received a sick leave certificate via remote consultation in the period from 16 November to 15 December 2020.ResultsOf the 5429 respondents, 3233 (59.6%) received a sick leave certificate via telephone consultation, 657 (12.1%) via video consultation and 1539 (28.3%) via text-based e-consultation. Most respondents (76.8%) were satisfied. Only 10% of the respondents thought that the doctor would have obtained more information through an office appointment. The majority of the respondents (59.6%) found that they had as much time to explain the problem as at an office appointment. Some patients also thought that it was easier to formulate the problem via a remote consultation (18.2%) and agree with the doctor on the sick leave (10.3%).The users of text-based e-consultations were the most satisfied (79.3%, p<0.001) compared with those using telephone or video consultations. Among users of text-based e-consultations, there was a higher proportion of patients who thought that they had more time to explain the problem compared with an office appointment (p<0.001), it was easier to explain the problem (p<0.001) and agree with the doctor (p<0.001). Most respondents would use the same type of remote consultation if they were to contact the general practitioner (GP) for the same problem, with the highest proportion among the users of video consultations (62.1%, p<0.001).ConclusionsPatients were satisfied with communicating and receiving sick leave certificates via remote consultations. Future studies should investigate patients’ and GPs’ use and experiences in a postpandemic setting.