To examine the Digital First Primary Care (DFPC) model in NHS England through the lens of patient-centered care (PCC) domains, highlighting its significance in enhancing patient engagement and outcomes.
Key Findings:
DFPC can improve convenience, flexibility, and timeliness of first contact for some patients, particularly when integrated with traditional care.
Gains from DFPC are unevenly distributed and depend on system design, workflow integration, and patient capability.
Evidence from the COVID-19 emergency should not be conflated with post-pandemic DFPC evaluations due to differing contexts.
Interpretation:
DFPC aligns with PCC when implemented within a flexible hybrid model that preserves modality choice, supports continuity, provides safe escalation to in-person care, and actively mitigates digital exclusion.
Limitations:
The review did not follow a PRISMA-based systematic review workflow, which may limit the comprehensiveness of the findings. No formal risk-of-bias appraisal was undertaken, potentially affecting the reliability of the conclusions.
Conclusion:
Future research should focus on patient-reported experience, continuity, safety, and equity outcomes in routine post-pandemic conditions, particularly in relation to access and satisfaction.
