Virtual Outreach: a randomised controlled trial and economic appraisal

ISRCTN	ISRCTN54264250
DOI	https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN54264250
Protocol serial number	HTA 96/02/05
Sponsor	Department of Health (UK)
Funder	NIHR Health Technology Assessment Programme - HTA (UK)

Submission date: 09/01/2002
Registration date: 09/01/2002
Last edited: 25/08/2009

Recruitment status: No longer recruiting
Overall study status: Completed
Condition category: Other

Prospectively registered

Protocol

Statistical analysis plan

Results

Individual participant data

Plain English summary of protocol

Not provided at time of registration

Contact information

Prof Paul Wallace
Scientific

Department of Primary Care and Population Sciences
Royal Free and University College Medical School
Rowland Hill Street
London
NW3 2PF
United Kingdom

Phone	+44 (0)20 7830 2339
Email	p.wallace@pcps.ucl.ac.uk

Study information

Primary study design	Interventional
Study design	Randomised controlled trial
Secondary study design	Randomised controlled trial
Scientific title
Study objectives	The project was designed to evaluate the feasibility of teleconferenced medical consultations (TMCs) at the interface between primary and secondary care. The key research objectives were: 1. To determine the views of specialists, GPs and patients about TMCs 2. To test the feasibility of TMCs 3. To determine which specialties are most suited to TMCs 4. To make plans for a randomised controlled trial of TMCs. The key issues of interest related to the relative value of real time teleconferenced medical consultations (TMCs) as an alternative to routine outpatient referral. The study was designed to evaluate the potential of TMCs to improve patients¿ health and satisfaction, and to lead to more efficient usage of health service resources in terms of tests and investigations, procedures, operations and prescriptions. We were particularly interested to find out whether the joint consultations could reduce the number of outpatient and GP consultations following the index consultation. In addition, the study was designed to examine the educational and organisational impact of TMCs. The pilot study was carried out in order to test the feasibility of a full-scale trial. In particular we wished to find out whether we could recruit adequate numbers of patients, whether standard instruments could be used effectively to measure the key outcomes, and whether we would be able to measure the educational and organisational impact of introducing TMCs.
Ethics approval(s)	Not provided at time of registration.
Health condition(s) or problem(s) studied	Teleconferenced medical consultations
Intervention	Videoconference link (tele-consultation) versus routine hospital outpatients consultation
Intervention type	Other
Primary outcome measure(s)	The following instruments were used in the trial: 1. A patient demographic and personal details questionnaire 2. S F12 generic measure of well-being 3. Ware Specific Visit Questionnaire (SVQ) for patient satisfaction 4. Speiberger Standing State Anxiety Inventory (STAI) 5. A patient cost questionnaire 6. Duke Severity of Illness questionnaire (DUSOI) to measure the co-morbidity or burden of illness 7. Protocol specifically designed to extract data for hospital and GP records
Key secondary outcome measure(s)	Not provided at time of registration.
Completion date	31/10/2001

Eligibility

Participant type(s)	Patient
Age group	Not Specified
Sex	All
Target sample size at registration	2094
Key inclusion criteria	All patients referred by the participating general practitioners for a hospital specialist opinion in the following specialty areas: ENT medicine, general medicine (including endocrinology and rheumatology), gastroenterology, orthopaedics, neurology and urology
Key exclusion criteria	Not provided at time of registration.
Date of first enrolment	01/06/1998
Date of final enrolment	31/10/2001

Locations

Countries of recruitment

United Kingdom
England

Study participating centre

Department of Primary Care and Population Sciences

London
NW3 2PF
United Kingdom

Results and Publications

Individual participant data (IPD) Intention to share	No
IPD sharing plan summary	Not provided at time of registration
IPD sharing plan

Study outputs

Output type	Details	Date created	Peer reviewed?	Patient-facing?
Results article	main results	08/06/2002	Yes	No
Results article	results	12/07/2003	Yes	No
Protocol article	protocol	11/01/2002	Yes	No
Other publications	publication on design and performance of the trial	11/01/2002	Yes	No
Other publications	HTA monograph	01/12/2004	Yes	No