Stabilizing the use of video consultations through legitimacy work: A qualitative study in general practice in Denmark

Background: Video consultation in general practice in Denmark is part of a political ambition to increase efficiency and stretch resources by using technology in healthcare. Adoption remains slow, indicating a gap between policy expectations and clinical practices. Aim: As video consultations have become a permanent consultation modality, this article investigates how video consultations are stabilized and legitimized in clinical practices. Methods: This article draws on 15 semi-structured interviews with Danish general practitioners. The data were analysed abductively, focusing on how general practitioners adopted video consultations. In the process, we identified general practitioners’ need to justify video consultations. The concept of legitimacy tactics was applied, understood through Actor-network Theory. Results: We identified five legitimacy tactics that general practitioners enacted to stabilize video consultations: self-care, patient autonomy, selective triage, hybrid consultation, and communicative techniques. Discussion: Video consultation requires legitimacy to align political expectations and clinical realities, and the legitimacy tactics that general practitioners use often work in combination. Conclusion: The legitimacy tactics enacted by general practitioners is an ongoing process, but by establishing meaningful use of video consultation through legitimacy tactics, its role as a care and medical technology may move towards stabilization.