Emergency care via video consultation: interviews on patient experiences from rural community hospitals in northern Sweden
Dublin Core
Title
Emergency care via video consultation: interviews on patient experiences from rural community hospitals in northern Sweden
Subject
Emergency care, Video consultation, Patient experience, Qualitative, Rural, Telehealth, Emergency nursing,
Emergency nurse, General practitioner, Community hospital
Emergency nurse, General practitioner, Community hospital
Description
Abstract
Background Delivering emergency care in rural areas can be challenging, but video consultation (VC) offers oppor‐
tunities to make healthcare more accessible. The communication and relationship between professionals and patients
have a significant impact on the patient’s experience of safety and inclusion. Understanding the patient perspective
is crucial to developing good quality healthcare, but little is known about patient experiences of emergency care
via VC in a rural context. The aim of this study was to explore patient experiences of emergency care via VC in north‐
ern rural Sweden.
Methods Using a qualitative approach, semi- structured interviews (n=12) were conducted with individuals aged
18—89 who had received emergency care with a registered nurse (RN) on site and VC with a general practitioner (GP).
The interviews were conducted between October 2021 and March 2023 at community hospitals (n=7) in Västerbot‐
ten County, Sweden. Interviews were analysed with content analysis.
Results The analysis resulted in main categories (n=2), categories (n=5) and subcategories (n=20). In the main
category, “We were a team of three”, patients described a sense of inclusion and ability to contribute. The patients
perceived the interaction between the GP and RN to function well despite being geographically dispersed. Patients
highly valued the opportunity to speak directly to the GP. In the main category, “VC was a two-sided coin”, some expe‐
rienced the emergency care through VC to be effective and smooth, while some felt that they received a lower quality
of care and preferred face-to-face consultation with the GP. The quality of the VC was highly dependent on the RN’s
ability to function as the hub in the emergency room.
Conclusion Patients in rural areas perceived being included in ’the team’ during VC, however they experienced
disadvantages with the system on individual basis. The nursing profession plays an important role, and a proper edu‐
cational background is crucial to support RNs in their role as the hub of the visit. The GP’s presence via VC was seen
as important, but to fully enable them to fulfil their commitments as medical professionals, VC needs to be further
improved with education and support from technical devices.
Keywords Emergency care, Video consultation, Patient experience, Qualitative, Rural, Telehealth, Emergency nursing,
Emergency nurse, General practitioner, Community hospital
Background Delivering emergency care in rural areas can be challenging, but video consultation (VC) offers oppor‐
tunities to make healthcare more accessible. The communication and relationship between professionals and patients
have a significant impact on the patient’s experience of safety and inclusion. Understanding the patient perspective
is crucial to developing good quality healthcare, but little is known about patient experiences of emergency care
via VC in a rural context. The aim of this study was to explore patient experiences of emergency care via VC in north‐
ern rural Sweden.
Methods Using a qualitative approach, semi- structured interviews (n=12) were conducted with individuals aged
18—89 who had received emergency care with a registered nurse (RN) on site and VC with a general practitioner (GP).
The interviews were conducted between October 2021 and March 2023 at community hospitals (n=7) in Västerbot‐
ten County, Sweden. Interviews were analysed with content analysis.
Results The analysis resulted in main categories (n=2), categories (n=5) and subcategories (n=20). In the main
category, “We were a team of three”, patients described a sense of inclusion and ability to contribute. The patients
perceived the interaction between the GP and RN to function well despite being geographically dispersed. Patients
highly valued the opportunity to speak directly to the GP. In the main category, “VC was a two-sided coin”, some expe‐
rienced the emergency care through VC to be effective and smooth, while some felt that they received a lower quality
of care and preferred face-to-face consultation with the GP. The quality of the VC was highly dependent on the RN’s
ability to function as the hub in the emergency room.
Conclusion Patients in rural areas perceived being included in ’the team’ during VC, however they experienced
disadvantages with the system on individual basis. The nursing profession plays an important role, and a proper edu‐
cational background is crucial to support RNs in their role as the hub of the visit. The GP’s presence via VC was seen
as important, but to fully enable them to fulfil their commitments as medical professionals, VC needs to be further
improved with education and support from technical devices.
Keywords Emergency care, Video consultation, Patient experience, Qualitative, Rural, Telehealth, Emergency nursing,
Emergency nurse, General practitioner, Community hospital
Creator
Lina Ärlebrant1*, Hanna Dubois2
, Johan Creutzfeldt3 and Anette Edin‐Liljegren4
, Johan Creutzfeldt3 and Anette Edin‐Liljegren4
Source
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12245-024-00703-4
Date
2024
Contributor
Peri Irawan
Format
pdf
Language
english
Type
text
Files
Collection
Citation
Lina Ärlebrant1*, Hanna Dubois2
, Johan Creutzfeldt3 and Anette Edin‐Liljegren4, “Emergency care via video consultation: interviews on patient experiences from rural community hospitals in northern Sweden,” Repository Horizon University Indonesia, accessed April 11, 2026, https://repository.horizon.ac.id/items/show/12432.