Virtual care refers to healthcare appointments enabled by information technologies, including by telephone and video call. It has many potential benefits, including supporting access to care across the healthcare journey and providing patients with more choice about how and when they receive care.

Locally, NSW Health’s Virtual Care Strategy 2021–2026 outlines steps being taken to integrate virtual care as a safe, effective and accessible option for health service delivery to the people of NSW.

In 2020, in response to the rapid expansion of virtual care services in NSW necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Bureau of Health Information (BHI) developed the Virtual Care Survey to gather information about patients’ experiences of virtual care provided by NSW public hospital outpatient clinics. We have since incorporated special virtual care questionnaire modules into other surveys to gain a broader picture of patients’ experiences of virtual care in other contexts.

Since 2020, more than 20,000 patients have provided feedback via the NSW Patient Survey Program about their experiences using virtual care.

Listening to what these patients have to say has not only increased our understanding of the value and impact of virtual care for patients, it has also combatted common misconceptions and stereotypes that exist around its use. For example, contrary to popular belief, results from Virtual Care Surveys have consistently shown that older patients are no more likely than younger patients to report experiencing problems with the technology.

A summary of patients’ experiences of virtual care with public hospital outpatient clinics in 2023 is the subject of a new report, with comparisons of results for different patient groups available in accompanying data tables.

Now we have the benefit of several years of Virtual Care Survey data, we can also undertake analyses of patients’ experiences over time, such as those featured in our latest Healthcare in Focus report. For example, the report shows that between 2020 and 2023, patients were generally very positive about their overall virtual care, although over time they appear to have become more discerning of the circumstances in which they want to use it.

BHI will continue to survey and report on patients’ experiences with virtual care to inform ongoing improvement efforts, and to inform the monitoring and evaluation of NSW Health’s Virtual Care Strategy.