1 / 12

The Art Of Telephone Consultations

The Art Of Telephone Consultations. Dr. Ramesh Mehay. Why are telephones so important?. The Telephone Explosion Era GP Co-ops are using it more As is NHS Direct. Is It a Good Tool?. It is argued that a high proportion of out of hours calls can be dealt with over the phone.

jovan
Download Presentation

The Art Of Telephone Consultations

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. The Art Of Telephone Consultations Dr. Ramesh Mehay

  2. Why are telephones so important? • The Telephone Explosion Era • GP Co-ops are using it more • As is NHS Direct

  3. Is It a Good Tool? • It is argued that a high proportion of out of hours calls can be dealt with over the phone.

  4. Will patients Be Happy? • Studies show : • 30% who got telephone advice had originally wanted a home visit • Only 25% were unhappy with the telephone advice. • BUT over all 49% of callers would have preferred a home visit.

  5. Concerns & Anxieties Concerns • Is the Data gathered adequate? • Are we prone to Premature Conclusions? • Is the Communications Clear? • Telephone consultation technique Anxieties • Providing telephone consultations, particularly to patients we do not know. • How good are our telephone skills • How do you manage patient expectations for a home visit?

  6. The Root of the Problem Telephone consultation skills training is often overlooked in • Undergraduate Schools • Vocational Training Schemes • Post-VTS training • PGEA

  7. The First Telephone Consultation This wonderful letter to the lancet appears to be the first record in the medical literature of telephone consultations

  8. PRACTICE BY TELEPHONE The Yankees are rapidly finding out the benefits of the telephone. A newly made grandmamma, we are told, was recently awakened by the bell at midnight, and told by her inexperienced daughter, "Baby has the croup. What shall I do with it?" Grandmamma replied she would call the family doctor, and would be there in a minute. Grandmamma woke the doctor, and told him the terrible news. He in turn asked to be put in telephonic communication with the anxious mamma. "Lift the child to the telephone, and let me hear it cough," he commands. The child is lifted, and it coughs. "That's not the croup," he declares, and declines to leave his house on such small matters. He advises grandmamma also to stay in bed: and, all anxiety quieted, the trio settle down happy for the night. The LancetNov. 29, 1879. Page 819

  9. Telephone vs Face-Face Consultations • Lack of non-verbal clues • No direct observations • No direct examination • No diagnostic tests • No smells • Active listening • Third party consultations

  10. Telephone vs Face-Face Consultations • Different anxieties of patient • Different ways of expressing those anxieties • Manifest versus underlying problem • Secondary dialogue • ExpectationsImpact of taping calls • Access • Types of problems - eg parasuicide, hoax, abusive etc • Different endings

  11. Telephone vs Face-Face Consultations • Cultural and language obstacles aggravated • Hearing difficulties • Technical difficulties • Accents • Speed of access • Access to advice for people with restricted mobility

  12. Advantages of Telephone Consultations • Easy access to advice as circumstances change • Time efficient for all parties • Patients may feel less guilty/defensive at taking up doctor's time

More Related