The ‘Remote by Default’ Covid-19 project, funded through the ESRC, is examining digital communications between patients and primary care practices. Led by Professor Trisha Greenhalgh from the University of Oxford, it also includes researchers from the Nuffield Trust. The project is seeking to: develop tools to help clinicians assess people effectively by phone or video; support the change process through action research; and strengthen the supporting infrastructure for digital innovation in the NHS.
Dr Sarah Rybczynska-Bunt and Professor Richard Byng are leading the Plymouth site which will focus on the impact of remote by default on inequalities. Investigation of the scale-up of ‘remote-by-default’ working, where patients can no longer automatically access face-to-face appointments, as a result of COVID-19 in Plymouth will help reveal any positive and negative impacts on individuals living in poverty or with complex needs. We will work closely with the ‘Deep End group of practices and Devon CCG.