People find telemedicine less diagnostically accurate than in-person appointments, according to new research from the University of Cambridge and University of East Anglia (UEA).

A new study published on Tuesday shows the majority of rheumatology patients and clinicians found phone or video consultations more convenient.

But 86pc of patients and 93pc of clinicians felt that telemedicine, or remote medicine, was worse than face-to-face consultations for accuracy of assessment, with some reporting misdiagnoses.

Some even said that it has the potential to increase health inequalities and barriers to accessing appropriate care.

One rheumatology patient said: “My rheumatologist cannot see or hear how I move, look at my skin, eyes, hair, hands, bones, how I am.

"I was diagnosed with something over the phone, which I know isn’t right, and it’s getting worse.”

Senior author Dr Felix Naughton, from UEA’s School of Health Sciences, said: ‘’Of greatest concern was the great variability in accessibility to care.

“Approximately half of all patients felt they would not receive a prompt response when very unwell, often citing increased barriers due to some remote contact and administrative systems that are not yet efficient enough to cope with the sudden move towards telemedicine.’’

Clinicians highlighted the importance of a quick response to ‘flaring’ patients with a rapidly worsening condition, but only around half of patients were confident that they would receive a quick response to an urgent request for medical advice within 24 to 48 hours from their GP or hospital team.

Many patients were grateful for prompt responses despite the challenges facing clinicians, but others reported still struggling to get through administrative systems to receive any kind of response or appointment.

The researchers worked with a national team of expert consultants, patients and psychologists to examine the pitfalls and benefits of telemedicine for patients with chronic diseases.

Between April 2021 and July 2021, a total of 1,340 patients and 111 clinicians completed online surveys. The team also conducted in-depth interviews with 31 patients and 29 clinicians.

The majority of patients were from the UK (96pc) and had inflammatory arthritis (32pc) or lupus (32pc).