{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,20]],"date-time":"2026-10-20T16:01:22Z","timestamp":1792512082082,"version":"4.5.0"},"reference-count":46,"publisher":"JMIR Publications Inc.","content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["J Med Internet Res"],"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Background<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>e-Consultations, defined as asynchronous text-based messaging, have transformed how patients interact with their general practitioner (GP). While e-consultations can improve patient access to GP care, concerns about increased workload for GPs are raised.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Objective<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>This study aimed to address three research questions: (1) For what purpose and with what expectations do patients initiate e-consultations? (2) If e-consultations had not been available, what alternative actions would the patient have taken? and (3) How are the alternative actions associated with patient and e-consultation characteristics?<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>A cross-sectional study was conducted through a web-based survey on Helsenorge. Helsenorge is the national citizen portal for digital health services in Norway, including e-consultations with the GP. All users who sent e-consultations through Helsenorge were invited to participate between January and February 2023. The survey addressed questions on users\u2019 expectations and experience with e-consultations. The association between patient and e-consultation characteristics and alternative actions to e-consultations were analyzed using multinomial logistic regression.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Overall, 13,011 users answered the survey. The most common reason for initiating an e-consultation was requesting a sick certificate (4940\/13,011, 38%). Overall, 68.7% (8802\/13,011) of respondents expected an answer within 24 hours, and 17.7% (2310\/13,011) anticipated that the GP would ask them to attend a physical examination. If e-consultations had not been available, 45.5% (5917\/13,011) of respondents would have booked a GP appointment, and 44.9% (5846\/13,011) would have called the front desk. Users who expected a quicker response (odds ratio [OR] 1.64, 95% CI 1.46-1.85) and were less concerned about their health issues (OR 1.29, 95% CI 1.18-1.40) were more likely to call the front desk. Only 2.5% (323\/13,011) of respondents would have contacted out-of-hours services. Users with longer travel time to the GP office (OR 6.08, 95% CI 3.46-10.66) and with a new health problem (OR 2.71, 95% CI 2.09-3.51) were more likely to choose this option. In addition, 4.7% (609\/13,011) of the users would not have sought help if e-consultations had not been available. Younger patients (OR 2.16, 95% CI 1.38-3.37) and those with a longer travel time to the GP office (OR 2.19, 95% CI 1.27-3.80) or a new health issue (OR 1.74, 95% CI 1.43-2.12) had higher odds for not seeking help.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusions<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>e-Consultations were often the patients\u2019 first choice of access route, and users expected a fast response. e-Consultations were mostly perceived as an alternative to GP appointments or calling the front desk. Patients with lower availability to the GP office had higher odds of using e-consultations as an alternative to out-of-hours service or waiting and not seeking GP care. Guidance for patient use should be developed to ensure appropriate and safe use. Further research should assess the effect of e-consultations on health outcomes and efficiency.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.2196\/55158","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,1,8]],"date-time":"2025-01-08T16:00:47Z","timestamp":1736352047000},"page":"e55158","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":6,"title":["Patients\u2019 Use of e-Consultations as an Alternative to Other General Practitioner Services: Cross-Sectional Survey Study"],"prefix":"10.2196","volume":"27","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3170-1745","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Eli","family":"Kristiansen","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7072-1925","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Helen","family":"Atherton","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1638-6879","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Bjarne","family":"Austad","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9580-7688","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Trine Strand","family":"Bergmo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2642-9310","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"B\u00f8rge L\u00f8nnebakke","family":"Norberg","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4378-3960","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Chris","family":"Salisbury","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5469-092X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Paolo","family":"Zanaboni","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1010","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,1,8]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1136\/bmjopen-2019-034773"},{"key":"ref2","unstructured":"Normaltariff for fastleger og legevakt. 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