Exploring the use of asynchronous consultations for reviewing asthma in primary care from the perspective of patients, healthcare professionals and organisations

16 May 2023

Research question
1. How and when asynchronous consultations are arranged and deployed for reviewing asthma within the context of multiple modes of consulting in primary care?
2. What are the experiences and perceptions of healthcare professionals and patients of the feasibility, acceptability, effectiveness, and safety of using asynchronous consultations for reviewing asthma?

Background: Asthma reviews using asynchronous consultations (for example, the transmission of clinical data from patients online that allows a healthcare professional to review the data and provide feedback later)  may support care to large numbers of patients and reduce avoidable clinic visits. Asynchronous consultations have increasingly been used in general practices across the UK. However, little is known about how these consultations are being used for reviewing asthma; for example, whether they are used as an alternative or adjunct to other methods of consultation.

Possible methodology: We will conduct focused ethnographic case studies in up to four UK general practices. We will collect data until data saturation is reached. 
- Observations of asynchronous consultation (n~20): We will observe the clinicians (often nurses, but could be GPs or pharmacists) who review people with asthma asynchronously in their workplace. Relevant staff who process tasks from such reviews (such as receptionists, practice managers) will be identified and observed as the pathway within the practice become clear in each case study practice. 
- Semi-structured interviews (n~24): We will conduct interviews with clinicians and relevant staff from the case study practices who use asynchronous consultations for reviewing asthma or who have responsibility for routine asthma care. We will also conduct short interviews with patients or caregivers to capture their experiences and perceptions of using such review consultations.

Questions to discuss: How should asynchronous consultations be organised in primary care for reviewing asthma?

Funding: NU has Asthma UK Centre for Applied Research PhD studentship

Resource information

Respiratory conditions
  • Asthma
Type of resource
Abstract
Conference
Munich 2023
Author(s)
Md Nazim Uzzaman 1, Vicky Hammersley 1, Kirstie McClatchey 1, Jessica Sheringham 2, Hilary Pinnock 1 1 The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom, 2 University College Hospital, London, London, United Kingdom