A new study led by Monash University has revealed patients are surprisingly happy with telehealth consults for a range of health services, including allied health.


Many patients perceived the relationships developed with practitioners to be as good, if not better than those in traditional in-person consultations, despite clinicians believing a balance between the two was required.

The qualitative study interviewed 25 participants (18 patients with shoulder pain and 7 clinicians) about developing therapeutic relationships in group telehealth sessions, with up to three patients per session, over 12 weeks.

In these sessions, clinicians provided patients with education about their condition, treatment advice, and a program of physical exercises.

First author Fernando Sousa, a PhD candidate from Monash University’s School of Primary and Allied Health Care, said he wanted to explore these relationships and address misconceptions that telehealth diminished them.

“We wanted to know what people think about the relationship with their clinicians through video calls,” Mr Sousa said. “We were curious about how well they could connect with each other, in light of the increased reliance on telehealth services since the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Our research indicates that telehealth doesn’t diminish the clinician-patient relationship; it can be quite the opposite. Some patients even reported that the relationships formed in group-based telehealth sessions were superior to those in-person visits."

The study found patients were pleasantly surprised by the connections formed, with one reporting they were able to develop a sense of friendship.


“I didn’t think that you could establish a relationship on telehealth or Zoom but I was really surprised,” the participant said.


Some patients found online relationships better than in-person.


“The relationship was very good. I mean, if you asked me about the relationship with a face-to-face physio I went to and the relationship via technology, it was much better,” the participant said.


Patients viewed positive telehealth relationships as pivotal in their engagement, safety, and satisfaction with treatment. They felt that a good relationship with their clinician motivated them to stick with treatment and made them more comfortable raising concerns early on.


Senior author and Monash School of Primary and Allied Health Care Director Professor Peter Malliaras said the research showed that relatively simple shifts like managing group dynamics, displaying empathy, small talk, and personalised attention could improve therapeutic relationships and patient satisfaction.

“We therefore encourage clinicians to adopt these patient-centred approaches to improve their telehealth consultations, foster patient engagement and potentially also improve outcomes,” Professor Malliaras said.

The research is believed to be the first qualitative study asking questions about patient-clinician relationships developed through group-based telehealth appointments.