Researchers from the University of Oxford examined remote doctor visits conducted via video or phone and found a higher risk of incorrect treatments and misdiagnoses. The findings also pointed to a greater chance of disease flare-ups among patients. The study results were published in the BMJ.
The analysis drew on 95 health safety events in Britain spanning 2020 to 2023. Teams reviewed complaints, incident reports, and resolved claims. They found that in several cases, clinicians treated the initial impression from a remote consultation as if it were the final diagnosis. This practice led to a number of medical errors, including issues affecting heart health, blood sugar control in diabetes, and outcomes in cancer patients. The report highlights how a preliminary assessment does not always capture the full clinical picture when a patient is assessed remotely.
There were other instances where serious conditions such as pulmonary embolism and sepsis were not recognized promptly. Remote evaluation left some patients at risk of rapid deterioration, with tragic consequences in certain cases.
Remote consultations surged in popularity as a response to long periods of self-isolation during the coronavirus outbreak. The researchers noted that evaluating patients with pre-existing conditions over the phone poses particular challenges. Professor Tricia Greenhalgh, lead author from Oxford University, commented that organizational pressures and communication gaps contributed to the errors observed in the study.
The researchers stressed that the goal was not to argue for cancelling remote consultations. Instead, they hope the work will spur improvements in how these consultations are organized to protect quality and safety. This includes better triage, clearer communication, and robust follow-up plans to verify patient status after a remote visit.
Earlier work by other scientists compared brain activity during live conversations and video calls, underscoring that human interaction patterns differ across modes of communication.