Normalizacja teleporad z perspektywy pacjentów w podłużnych badaniach jakościowych
Normalization of Teleconsultations from Patients’ Perspectives: A Qualitative Longitudinal Study

Author(s): Piotr Binder
Subject(s): Social Sciences, Sociology
Published by: Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Łódzkiego
Keywords: normalization process theory; patients; qualitative longitudinal research; remote consultations; teleconsultations
Summary/Abstract: This chapter explores the popularization of teleconsultations as a form of remote medical care within Poland’s public healthcare system. It highlights how these practices have been adapted and the challenges faced in making them a stable part of patients’ everyday routines. The analysis is based on qualitative longitudinal research conducted across three waves between 2020 and 2022, including interviews with young adults, parents of young children, and seniors (n = 356). The chapter reconstructs how perceptions of teleconsultations have evolved, examining the arguments and experiences that influence patients’ evaluations of remote medical interactions. The interpretive framework is based on normalization process theory, which enables analysis of the shift from the rapid expansion of remote-capable primary healthcare practices during the early phase of the pandemic to the subsequent slowdown and reversal of this trend in later stages. The findings reveal that, despite the swift expansion of teleconsultations and the ongoing development of e-health tools, these consultations have been selectively and conditionally integrated into the patient-physician relationship. They are primarily viewed as a complement to in-person interactions, rather than as a complete replacement. Positive evaluations of past teleconsultations encourage their use in specific situations. However, the degree to which these practices become established is limited and is strongly influenced by health-related contexts and previous interactions with the public healthcare system.

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