What does this research mean for the field?

Australian adults view direct-to-consumer telemedicine as a convenient, efficient, and anonymous supplement to traditional general practice, though they hold concerns regarding prescribing safety, continuity of care, and access inequity. Novelty: ClaimNovelty.INCREMENTAL. Consensus alignment: ConsensusAlignment.NEUTRAL.

What question did this study set out to answer?

To explore the perspectives, perceived benefits, safety concerns, and interactions with traditional general practice among users of direct-to-consumer (DTC) telemedicine services in Australia.

September 2, 2026Health ExpectationsOpen Access

Use of Direct‐to‐Consumer Telemedicine: A Qualitative Study Exploring the Thoughts, Perspectives and Experiences of Australian Adults

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Authors

ATAndrew Turner KCKate Churruca SSSamantha Spanos

Discussion

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Overview

Qualitative study uncovers high convenience alongside prescribing concerns with direct-to-consumer telemedicine in adults, highlighting the need for better primary care integration.

Key Points

To explore the perspectives, perceived benefits, safety concerns, and interactions with traditional general practice among users of direct-to-consumer (DTC) telemedicine services in Australia.
Conducted a qualitative investigation using recorded semi-structured interviews with Australian adults (N=13) recruited from a prior survey across up to five DTC telemedicine platforms.
Analyzed interview transcripts using NVivo through thematic analysis incorporating both inductive and deductive coding.
Identified efficiency, flexible scheduling, and enhanced geographical reach as primary advantages, alongside privacy benefits that reduce stigma when seeking care for sensitive conditions like obesity or erectile dysfunction.
Uncovered prominent patient concerns regarding potentially inappropriate prescribing practices, fragmented continuity of care, and healthcare inequities.
Reported that users view DTC services as an episodic supplement rather than a complete substitute for general practice, though prior negative experiences with traditional general practitioners frequently prompted DTC platform use.

Cite This Study

Turner et al. (2026) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6a97e275c562ede874ec69ed https://doi.org/10.1111/hex.70847

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September 2, 2026Health ExpectationsOpen Access

Use of Direct‐to‐Consumer Telemedicine: A Qualitative Study Exploring the Thoughts, Perspectives and Experiences of Australian Adults

View Full Paper

Ask AI

Bookmark

Authors

ATAndrew Turner KCKate Churruca SSSamantha Spanos

Discussion

Member takes

Overview

Qualitative study uncovers high convenience alongside prescribing concerns with direct-to-consumer telemedicine in adults, highlighting the need for better primary care integration.

Key Points

To explore the perspectives, perceived benefits, safety concerns, and interactions with traditional general practice among users of direct-to-consumer (DTC) telemedicine services in Australia.
Conducted a qualitative investigation using recorded semi-structured interviews with Australian adults (N=13) recruited from a prior survey across up to five DTC telemedicine platforms.
Analyzed interview transcripts using NVivo through thematic analysis incorporating both inductive and deductive coding.
Identified efficiency, flexible scheduling, and enhanced geographical reach as primary advantages, alongside privacy benefits that reduce stigma when seeking care for sensitive conditions like obesity or erectile dysfunction.
Uncovered prominent patient concerns regarding potentially inappropriate prescribing practices, fragmented continuity of care, and healthcare inequities.
Reported that users view DTC services as an episodic supplement rather than a complete substitute for general practice, though prior negative experiences with traditional general practitioners frequently prompted DTC platform use.

Cite This Study

Turner et al. (2026) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6a97e275c562ede874ec69ed https://doi.org/10.1111/hex.70847

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