Virtual Care Appointments and Experience Among Older Rural Patients with Chronic Conditions in New South Wales: An Analysis of Existing Survey Data

Abstract

This retrospective, descriptive study, conducted in 2024, analysed Virtual Care Survey (2020-2022) data of patients' self-reported reflections on use and experiences to investigate relationships between demographics, the number of chronic conditions, and virtual care use among older rural patients (≥65 years with at least one chronic condition) living in New South Wales, and their satisfaction with virtual care. Associations between categorical variables were assessed using chi-squared tests, and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used for continuous variables. Qualitative feedback was analysed thematically. The study included 264 patients (median age 74 years; 51.1% women). Most virtual care appointments (65.3%) were for consultations, check-ups, or review of test results. Over one-third (38.3%) of the patients had multimorbidity and were 1.8 times more likely to have five or more virtual care appointments compared to the patients with one chronic condition. The oldest age group (≥80 years) preferred telephone over online mediums (Skype or Zoom) (p < 0.05). Patient satisfaction was high (65.8%), with 60.9% finding virtual care comparable to in-person consultations. Technological issues correlated with more negative experiences (p < 0.05). Key themes were enhanced accessibility and convenience, quality and safety of virtual care, and recommendations for equitable access. Despite positive responses, addressing technological complexities is important for optimising virtual care models for older rural Australians with chronic conditions.

Keywords: Australia; chronic conditions; older adults; rural health; telehealth; virtual care.

Figure 1

Linkage of data sources—The dataset was provided by BHI as three separate datasets for each year (2020, 2021, 2022). These datasets included all individuals who completed the survey across the three years. Patients were removed from the dataset if they did not meet the inclusion criteria; aged 65 years and over, had at least one chronic condition, and lived in a rural setting. This resulted in sample sizes of n = 63, n = 124, and n = 77 across the years, respectively. The three datasets were then appended, creating a total sample size of 264.

Figure 2

Percentage of patients’ satisfaction and experiences with virtual care.