Many doctors in Ireland are concerned that some vulnerable patients will get left behind if appointments continue to be provided remotely after the COVID-19 pandemic, a new survey has found.

Telemedicine is the use of technology, such as phones, Zoom and Skype, to provide healthcare services to patients. Recent research by the Medical Council found that just 4% of the population had used telemedicine in March of this year. However by October, this had jumped to 21% - a five-fold increase - as a result of the pandemic.

This latest survey of doctors carried out by the Medical Protection Society (MPS) found that 64% agreed that telemedicine has offered huge benefits during the COVID-19 pandemic and it will remain a fundamental tool in practice. However, 79% said that they were concerned about patients whose access to remote services could be impacted by factors such as age, disability, language, internet connection or digital literacy.

Some 80% of doctors said they are concerned that if some patients feel excluded because of the use of telemedicine, this could result in a breakdown of the doctor/patient relationship, or a condition being left untreated.

According to Dr Pallavi Bradshaw of the MPS, while telemedicine is not a new concept and its use has been slowly evolving over the years, "COVID-19 has fast-tracked large-scale adoption".

"While the benefits have been indisputable during the pandemic, there are naturally concerns around its limitations, the need for support and training due to the different skills required when consulting in this way, and the desired role of virtual care beyond the pandemic.

"A key concern for doctors is the potential for vulnerable patient groups to be left behind and for health inequalities to grow, if there is desire for more patient consultations to be delivered online after COVID-19," Dr Bradshaw said.

The survey also found that 78% of doctors are generally more worried about missing something in a remote consultation, with 64% more worried about a claim or investigation arising as a result of the limitations of telemedicine.

Just 14% agreed that they would have no concerns about the increased use of telemedicine and that all consultations should be done remotely in the future unless there is a compelling reason not to.

Dr Bradshaw insisted that doctors must feel supported by the Government in this area.

"The Government and healthcare system must take a long-term strategic approach when considering the role of virtual care beyond the pandemic. This should be based on the experiences of patients, an ongoing evaluation of the barriers to accessing telemedicine for vulnerable patient groups, and the concerns raised by doctors," she commented.

The survey involved 361 doctors in the Republic of Ireland and was carried out in September, 2020. The MPS works to protect and support the professional interests of doctors worldwide, including thousands of doctors in Ireland.