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Telephone reporting in the consultant-generalist relationship
Thomas A Haldis1, James C Blankenship
1Department of Cardiology, Geisinger Medical Center, Danville, PA 17822, USA.
Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice
|March 8, 2002
Summary
Routine telephone reporting by medical consultants offers significant value in improving communication with primary care physicians. This method addresses existing shortcomings and enhances patient care by ensuring unanswered questions are resolved.
Area of Science:
- Medical communication strategies
- Healthcare delivery systems
Background:
- Current communication between consultants and primary care physicians is often inadequate.
- This communication gap frequently leaves primary care physicians with unresolved patient queries.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the underutilization of telephone reporting by medical consultants.
- To highlight the benefits of routine consultant-to-primary care physician telephone reporting.
Main Methods:
- Review of principal publications on consultant-primary care physician communication.
- Analysis of existing literature on communication shortcomings.
Main Results:
- Established communication methods between consultants and primary care physicians have significant shortcomings.
- Telephone reporting presents a valuable solution to improve information exchange.
Conclusions:
- Routine telephone reporting by consultants is highly valuable for primary care physicians.
- Future implications of electronic mail for medical communication are also considered.