Telemedicine in polish primary care during and after the Covid-19 crisis
A retrospective analysis of over 720,000 consultations
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 22076524 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Krzysztof Zakrzewski (0000-0001-5454-1783, SGH Warsaw School of Economics), Krzysztof Marcin Zakrzewski, Paulina Mularczyk-Tomczewska (0000-0001-8006-3818, Medical University of Warsaw, corresponding author), Tytus Koweszko (0000-0002-3696-0148, Medical University of Warsaw), Anna Mosiołek (0000-0001-6999-2309, Maria Grzegorzewska Academy of Special Education), Andrzej Silczuk (0000-0002-7048-8094, Medical University of Warsaw) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 13 |
| Pages | 1695625-1695625 |
| Publication date | 2025-11-21 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Frontiers in Public Health (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2296-2565 • E-ISSN: 2296-2565 |
| Publisher | Frontiers Media SA (PUBLISHER • CH) |
| DOI | 10.3389/fpubh.2025.1695625 |
| PMID | 41358208 |
| OpenAlex | W4416453631 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 37 |
Background The COVID-19 pandemic fundamentally reshaped healthcare delivery worldwide, accelerating the adoption of telemedicine. This study aimed to examine patterns of teleconsultation use in Polish primary care across pandemic and post-pandemic phases. Methods We retrospectively analysed anonymized medical records from a nationwide primary care network ( N = 54,430 patients; 720,133 consultations, January 2020–December 2024). The dataset comprised 507,668 in-person visits (70.5%) and 212,465 teleconsultations (29.5%). Variables included patient age, sex, consultation type, and clinical actions (prescriptions, referrals, diagnostic tests). Results Teleconsultations accounted for 29.5% of all visits ( n = 212,465). Before the pandemic, all consultations were in-person, whereas during lockdown teleconsultations peaked at 78.5% ( n = 35,840). Their share declined to 65.1% in the first wave and 18.5% in the second wave, then stabilized at 11.8% ( n = 18,223) during the state of epidemic threat and 14.9% ( n = 32,153) in the post-COVID phase. Differences between periods were statistically significant (e.g., lockdown vs. pre-COVID: χ 2 = 46,451.9, p < 0.001; post-COVID vs. pre-COVID: χ 2 = 5,454.5, p < 0.001). Younger and middle-aged adults used teleconsultations proportionally more often than those ≥60 years, who consistently preferred in-person care. Remote visits were more frequently associated with prescription issuance, whereas in-person consultations more often involved diagnostic tests or specialist referrals. Conclusion Teleconsultations surged to nearly 80% of visits during lockdown and stabilized at 12–15% post-pandemic. Persistent demographic disparities and modality-specific clinical profiles highlight the need for tailored strategies, strengthened digital infrastructure, and clear guidelines to ensure safe and equitable integration of telemedicine into routine primary care
Digital health · MEDLINE · Primary care · Primary health care · Telehealth · Telemedicine · COVID-19 and healthcare impacts · Dental Research and COVID-19 · Telemedicine and Telehealth Implementation
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| Highly cited | No |
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