An evaluation of patient satisfaction with remote consultations in an adult allergy service
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Berkovitz S.
Hughes, J.
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2025
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Objectives: Remote outpatient consultations were introduced by our Trust as an emergency response to the COVID pandemic but have remained in routine practice and currently account for one-third of adult allergy consultations. We carried out an online survey of patient satisfaction (an important marker of quality of care) to inform our service design. Method(s): A dedicated online survey was designed using SurveyMonkey and patients attending the service in the previous 12 months were invited to participate by e-mail. Analysis employed descriptive statistics for quantitative data and thematic analysis for qualitative data. Result(s): 133/1101 (12.1%) responses were received, 72 of which included a remote consultation (54% of responders). Peak age range was 30-39 (29.2%), but 34.8% were 50 or over. In response to the question 'How comfortable were you with remote consultations?' the mean was 69.7 (median 75) on a visual analogue scale (0 -' not at all comfortable' to 100 -' very comfortable'). When asked 'Given the choice, would you prefer to receive face-to- face or remote allergy consultations in the future?', 44/72 (61.1%) selected 'Face to face' and 14/72 (19.4%) each for 'No preference' and 'Remote'. From thematic analysis, perceived positive aspects of remote consultations included 'convenience', 'elimination of travel time', 'reduced costs', and 'flexibility in scheduling appointments'. Negative aspects included concerns about accurate assessment and diagnosis, lack of physical examination and suboptimal communication without body language, technical issues such as unclear video images, and physical disabilities (such as hearing difficulty) limiting effectiveness. Participants were particularly keen that their first appointment be in-person. Irrespective of the mode of delivery, a majority of patients offered positive feedback, with healthcare professionals described as 'knowledgeable', 'skilled', 'attentive' and 'empathic'. Conclusion(s): Despite some advantages of remote appointments in-person consultations are still preferred by a majority of patients, especially the first appointment. Allergy services should take this into account.
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Clinical and experimental allergy : journal of the British Society for Allergy and Clinical Immunology