Remote Consulting for Healthcare

Remote Consulting is when patients consult with healthcare workers about a health issue using some form of digital communication, e.g. a mobile phone or tablet. Remote consulting has potential to improve access to quality healthcare, particularly for communities with minimal access to services or living in low resource settings. In the face of COVID-19, health workers can protect their own health and the health of their patients by providing healthcare remotely where this is safe for the patient. At this time of pandemic, the World Health Organization recommends the use of remote consulting where possible.

Our Programme

Led by Professor Frances Griffiths, our Remote Consulting for Healthcare Programme at Warwick Medical School combines cutting-edged research with training and development of materials to support digital communication between healthcare providers and patients: in low- and middle-income countries and the UK.

We are a community of academics, researchers and practitioners from within and beyond the university who are interested in exploring digital innovation in healthcare delivery, showcasing good practice, contributing evidence and participating in emerging debate and practice in this lively new field.

Partners include

Training in Remote Consulting

REaCH Training for health workers to deliver healthcare digitally in low- resource settings

In low-resource settings in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, healthcare workers may own smart phones but other equipment for digital communication is rare. We have developed a training programme (REaCH) to support the delivery of trustworthy, safe and scalable remote primary healthcare.

REaCH training includes training on how to cascade the training to other health workers.

REaCH Training is available as a stand alone remote training course for health-workers and as facilitated training.

REaCH training are free to use subject to licence. If you would like to discuss delivery of the training please get in touch.

Find out more about REaCH Training here

Additional Resources

We have developed our findings from the UK-based LYNC Study into a Quick Reference e-book with 10 Topic Guides for patients and professionals who are using or considering the use of digital communication on clinical matters. The e-book and Topic Guides are free to download.

Our Research and Impact

Learn more about our current and past research and impact work by clicking on specific projects below.

Remote consulting in low-resource settings in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia

The Digital Good Network:

Digital Good in low-resource settings of Africa: A case study of ethical dilemmas in the digital provision of healthcare

Embedding remote consultations into healthcare for people living with long term conditions:

F ull report including policy review, gap analysis, guidelines for delivery of remote consulting and protocol for piloting and evaluationLink opens in a new window
Report summaryLink opens in a new window

The REaCH Trial:

COVID-19: Determining trustworthiness and safety of REmote Consulting in primary Healthcare for chronic disease populations in Africa

Umbrella review:

The effectiveness, safety, trustworthiness, feasibility, and acceptability of remote consulting in low and middle-income countries (LMICs): An umbrella review

Co-production project:

Co-produced mobile consulting for remote, marginalised communities in Africa

The mConsulting Project:

Mobile consulting as an option for communities with minimal healthcare access in low-resource settings in Bangladesh, Kenya, Nigeria, Pakistan and Tanzania

Remote Consulting in the UK

The LYNC Study: Improving health outcomes for young people with long-term conditions: The role of digital communication in current and future patient-clinical communication for NHS providers of specialist clinical service

Contact us

Programme Lead

Frances Griffiths f.e.griffiths@warwick.ac.uk