Interview study finds patients value face-to-face TIA assessment

A qualitative study across six NHS trusts in South East England found that clinicians generally regarded virtual clinics for transient ischaemic attack as workable for selected patients, while patients placed particular value on being physically seen by a healthcare professional. Researchers interviewed 15 patients and 12 healthcare professionals to explore experiences of virtual, face-to-face and hybrid TIA care. The rapid insights evaluation used recorded telephone or video interviews analysed thematically, examining perceived effectiveness and experience rather than clinical outcomes.

The contrasting stakeholder perspectives emerged clearly in the interviews. Healthcare professionals said virtual clinics worked well for some patients, including those who did not require MRI or magnetic resonance angiography imaging, older patients with comorbidities or poor mobility, younger working people and people living in rural areas. They did not consider the approach equally suitable for everyone and also identified distinct benefits of face-to-face consultations.

The findings describe experiences within six trusts in one English region and do not establish how virtual care is regarded elsewhere. Two complementary themes explained why being seen mattered to patients. The first was greater opportunity for communication during face-to-face consultations.

The second was feeling looked after and listened to by a multidisciplinary team. They instead show how patients and clinicians understood the organisation, delivery and communication of care during assessment and diagnosis. Most NHS trusts introduced virtual TIA clinics during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Some subsequently returned to face-to-face delivery or adopted hybrid clinics, but evidence about effectiveness and experience had been limited. Clinicians identified circumstances in which virtual assessment appeared workable, yet patients often prioritised direct consultation and the sense of being looked after and heard. The researchers’ conclusion was not that one format was universally superior, but that service design should account for how healthcare professionals interact with patients as well as the practical characteristics of each clinic model.

They also cautioned that further research was needed. The study is therefore qualitative evidence about experiences and perceived benefits, not a demonstration that hybrid clinics shorten diagnosis, prevent recurrent TIA or stroke, or improve measured clinical outcomes.

Subject of Research: Patient and clinician experiences of virtual and face-to-face TIA clinics in South East England

Article Title: The importance of “being seen”: a qualitative interview study of patient and clinician experiences of virtual and face-to-face TIA clinics in one region of England

Article References: Heath, J., Dumelow, C., Moran, M., Shaw, S. E., Brown, S., Ford, G. A., & Pope, C. (2026). The importance of “being seen”: a qualitative interview study of patient and clinician experiences of virtual and face-to-face TIA clinics in one region of England. BMC Health Services Research, 26(1), Article 1314. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-026-15470-6

Image Credits: AI Generated

DOI: 10.1186/s12913-026-15470-6

Keywords: transient ischaemic attack, virtual clinics, face-to-face care, NHS, patient experience, clinician communication, qualitative interviews, hybrid healthcare, South East England, importance, being, seen