#3-46E. Continuity vs. Speed: Patient Preferences for Remote Care in Chronic Conditions (JAMA Netw Open, 2026)

In the management of long-term conditions, physicians often view continuity of care as paramount, yet it is crucial to question whether patients prioritize this over immediate access during acute exacerbations. A recent vignette-based survey of 1,995 adults with chronic conditions in France investigated patient preferences for remote versus in-person consultations, specifically evaluating the willingness to forgo continuity with a referring physician for earlier access to a non-referring clinician. The study highlights a pivotal trade-off: 51% of patients were willing to accept a remote consultation with an unknown physician within 5 days rather than wait 20 days to see their regular doctor when facing worsening symptoms. While these results suggest a strong demand for responsiveness, listeners must critically note that the participants were recruited from an online cohort with higher digital literacy than the general population, indicating a potential selection bias that may overestimate the general acceptability of digital modalities. For clinicians, this paper is significant as it challenges the rigid reliance on in-person follow-up, advocating instead for the implementation of flexible, blended care models that can accommodate the patient's urgent need for speed without abandoning long-term continuity.

Citation: Lenfant T, Perrodeau E, Ravaud P, Tran VT. Patient Preferences for In-Person vs Remote Care for Long-Term Conditions. JAMA Network Open. 2026;9(2):e2557759. DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.57759

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