Improvement in medical consultation responses with a structured request form

Communication between dental and medical professionals often lacks clarity when dental students seek information about patient conditions. Prior research has shown that unstructured consultation requests (CRs) frequently result in incomplete or irrelevant responses from physicians. No prior work had resolved how to improve the quality of these exchanges. This gap motivated the development of a structured CR form to guide physicians in providing targeted information. The need for better communication is well established, but the specific tools to achieve it remain underexplored. Dental students require accurate medical data to make informed clinical decisions, yet the current system often fails to deliver it. Physicians may not recognize the specific information needed by dental providers, leading to gaps in care coordination. This issue highlights the importance of refining consultation processes to align with educational and clinical goals.

The study aimed to evaluate whether a structured consultation request (CR) form could improve the quality and relevance of physician responses to dental students' inquiries. It also sought to determine if in-service education for clinical faculty could reduce unnecessary CRs. Dental students and instructors often lack guidance on what information to request, leading to incomplete or irrelevant physician replies. The researchers proposed that a checklist-based CR form would help physicians provide more targeted responses. Additionally, they hypothesized that educating faculty on appropriate CR use could decrease the number of unwarranted requests. The goal was to enhance communication efficiency and student learning outcomes. By focusing on structured forms and faculty training, the study aimed to address existing shortcomings in interdisciplinary consultation practices.

The study compared responses from physicians using a new structured CR form with those from an older, unstructured version. The structured form included checklists and closed-ended questions to guide physicians in providing specific information. Researchers also evaluated the number of unnecessary CRs before and after in-service education for clinical faculty. Data collection involved analyzing physician responses over two time periods. The structured form was introduced to dental students and instructors, who then submitted CRs for patient conditions. Responses were assessed for completeness and relevance. Faculty received training on when CRs are appropriate and when they are not. The number of CRs sent for non-indicated conditions was tracked before and after the intervention. This approach allowed the researchers to measure changes in both response quality and consultation appropriateness.

The structured CR form led to improved physician responses for conditions like diabetes mellitus, hypertension, heart murmur, and anticoagulant therapy. Physicians provided more complete and relevant information when using the new form compared to the older version. The checklist and closed-ended questions helped guide physicians toward the specific data needed by dental students. However, the number of unnecessary CRs remained unchanged after faculty education. Despite the training, clinical faculty continued to submit CRs for conditions that did not require them. The structured form did not reduce the volume of unwarranted requests, suggesting that education alone may not be sufficient. Physicians were more likely to address key medical issues when prompted with structured questions. The results suggest that structured forms enhance communication clarity but may not influence behavior without additional interventions.

The authors concluded that structured CR forms improve the flow of information between dentists and physicians, which should enhance student knowledge and skills in gathering relevant medical data. The findings suggest that structured forms help physicians provide more targeted and complete responses. However, the study also revealed that in-service education did not reduce the number of unnecessary CRs sent to physicians. This suggests that additional measures may be needed to address inappropriate consultation practices. The structured form alone was effective in improving response quality but not in reducing unwarranted requests. The authors propose that greater efforts are needed to inform clinical faculty about when CRs are appropriate. The results support the use of structured forms in dental education settings. Future work may explore combining structured forms with other interventions to further improve consultation practices.