Information Sheet: Consumer and Whanau Survey

If you prefer to read this information as part of doing the survey, you can go directly to the survey.

You are invited to complete this survey about consumers’ video and phone use in general practice, by sharing your experiences and ideas about using telehealth. Your answers will help to improve the way that telehealth is used in the future. No personal health information is sought.

What is this research about and what will it involve?

Since the Covid–19 lockdown (started on 23 March 2020), there has been a significant change to how you could see your doctor or nurse, with phone or video calls for consultations becoming the main method (in alert levels 3 and 4). This research aims to answer the question, “What is the consumer experience of telehealth and how can this mode of care delivery be sustained over time?” We will also invite doctors and nurses to complete a different survey about their experiences.

We are seeking information from you and your whanau about how video and phone calls with your doctor and nurse at the general practice or clinic have worked out for you since the Covid–19 lockdown started until now. With the information you give us we will better understand what has worked well and what can be improved. This gives us real experiences to help guide services and government about the way things should work to get the best outcomes for consumers and whanau.  

Your participation in this research involves completing a survey, which should take less than 20 minutes, and does not need to be completed in one sitting. Completion of the survey may involve data charges on your device (phone, tablet, desk top computer or laptop), depending on how you access it. You are welcome to include your whanau when completing the survey. 

Some terms that we use

  • When we talk about “general practice”, we mean the clinic, or rooms, or medical centre, or practice, where you see your family doctor. 
  • When we talk about a “general practitioner” (GP), we are referring to your family doctor or local doctor.  
  • When we talk about a “nurse practitioner”, we mean a nurse with advanced qualifications who may make a diagnosis or prescribe treatment.   
  • When we talk about a “registered nurse” we mean any nurse you see at the practice, who is not a nurse practitioner. 
  • When you interact with your GP, nurse practitioner or practice nurse, it is usually called a “consultation” or a “visit” or an “appointment”. You may have a consultation by walking into the clinic and waiting to see the GP, nurse practitioner or practice nurse, or by making an appointment. We will call both ways (i.e. appointments and walk-ins) a “consultation”

Who can take part?

Anyone can take part as long as you 

  • Are older than 18 years
  • Have had at least one consultation with your GP, nurse practitioner or practice nurse by phone or video after 23 March 2020
  • Are able to understand English well enough to complete the survey
  • Currently reside in Aotearoa/New Zealand
  • Are able to confirm that you have understood what the study is about and agree to participate. 

Your rights 

You are under no obligation to accept this invitation, i.e. your participation is voluntary.  If you decide to participate, you have the right to

  • Not answer some questions. 
  • Withdraw from the study any time before completing the survey. Once you have pressed “submit”, your anonymous answers cannot be traced or removed.  
  • Ask any questions about the study, using the contact details at the end of this sheet.
  • Provide information on the understanding that your name will not be used unless you give permission to the researcher. This survey is anonymous (we will not know your name), so we will not be able to attach your name to it.
  • Be given a summary of the project findings when it is concluded. At the end of this survey you will find information about how to request a summary.

Benefits and risks 

Participating may give you insights into your experience of video or phone consultations that may allow you to meet your needs better in future consultations. We aim to use the survey results to improve video and phone consultations by changing the way that health practitioners use these tools for consultations. It is not anticipated that you would experience any discomfort or risks by taking part in this survey, but if you do feel any distress, please contact your health provider.

Survey data

Data will be collected and stored securely in a survey system, Qualtrics, which is based in the University of Auckland’s secure computer system. Excel spreadsheets will be created from the data and stored in a password protected drive. The anonymous survey data will only be accessed by research team members who will present versions of the data in journal publications, presentations and guidelines.

Please contact the research team if you wish to see a summary report of the analysed data. 

Please contact Dr Karen Day email: k.day@auckland.ac.nz if you wish to see a summary report of the analysed data.

Concerns and questions

If you have any concerns about the study, please contact the principal investigators:
Dr Karen Day email: k.day@auckland.ac.nz, phone +64 9 923 3870 or Associate Professor Dr Inga Hunter email: I.Hunter@massey.ac.nz, phone: +64 6 356 9099 ext 84913.

For concerns of an ethical nature, you can contact the Chair of the Auckland Health Research Ethics Committee at ahrec@auckland.ac.nz or at 373 7599 x 83711, or at Auckland Health Research Ethics Committee, The University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland 1142.

The research team

This project is being led by a group of researchers from Massey University and the University of Auckland with the support of the New Zealand Telehealth Leadership Group (NZTLG). 

Principal investigators

Dr Karen Day, University of Auckland and Associate Professor Dr Inga Hunter, Massey University

Named Investigators (in alphabetical order)

Dr Emily Gill, University of Auckland; Dr Fiona Moir, University of Auckland; Dr Vasudha Rao, Massey University; Dr Rachel Roskvist, University of Auckland; Dr Greig Russell, MidCentral District Health Board; Mr Bert van der Werf, University of Auckland; Caroline Lockhart, Massey University.

Approved by The Auckland Health Research Ethics Committee (AHREC) on 13 November 2020 for three years. Reference Number: AH2539

Endorsed by the New Zealand Telehealth Leadership Group.