Health Care Professionals’ and Patients’ Perceptions and Experiences of Who Uses Video Consultations, and Why: Qualitative Study

The rushed implementation potentially deterred some patients and HCPs from use. Misguided preconceptions and biases negatively influenced VC use and risked reinforcing existing disparities and contributing to digital exclusion. In addition, HCPs' and patients' preferences, which were related to their needs, waiting times, and different circumstances, and potentially misguided judgments of appropriateness, influenced VC use. Lastly, infrastructure, reimbursement, sociodemographics, and organizational type also drive VC use. To support more sustainable and equitable use of VC in primary care, developers should optimize VC applications' usability, implementers should deploy multiple strategies, health care providers should consider the potential of VC in care delivery, and policymakers should increase digital readiness. Further research should evaluate the effectiveness of different strategies for introducing patients to VCs, explore younger patients' and nonusers' perspectives, characteristics of HCP users, and differences between professional roles, as well as between consultation types.