Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 29, 2026
14:56
Remote Laboratory Management: Respiratory Virus Diagnostics
Published on: April 6, 2019
Infectious disease specialist telephone consultations requested by general practitioners
Gaëlle Bal1, Elodie Sellier, Stéphane Gennai
1Quality of Care Unit, Grenoble University Hospital, Grenoble, France.
Scandinavian Journal of Infectious Diseases
|August 27, 2011
Summary
General practitioners (GPs) value infectious disease (ID) specialist consultations for patient management, citing rapid access and quality improvement. Both GPs and specialists reported high satisfaction with the telephone consultation service.
Area of Science:
- Infectious Diseases
- General Practice
- Healthcare Management
Background:
- Infectious diseases (ID) represent a significant portion of general practitioner (GP) workload.
- GPs frequently consult ID specialists for patient management advice.
- This study investigated GP reasons for seeking ID consultations and user satisfaction.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the reasons why general practitioners (GPs) request infectious disease (ID) consultations.
- To assess the opinions of both GPs and ID specialists regarding the ID consultation service.
- To evaluate the perceived quality and accessibility of ID telephone consultations.
Main Methods:
- Prospective study of solicited ID consultations requested by GPs.
- Data collected on GP characteristics, consultation reasons, specialist recommendations, and perceptions.
- GPs reported adherence to recommendations and satisfaction with the service.
Main Results:
- An average of 57 monthly telephone consultations were requested by GPs.
- Recommendations focused on antibiotic treatment (66.2%), diagnostic tests (46.5%), and further care (29.6%).
- High GP satisfaction (97.9%) and specialist satisfaction (94.7%) were reported, driven by accessibility and quality.
Conclusions:
- Telephone consultations with ID specialists are highly valued by GPs, likely due to their accessibility.
- The service is perceived positively by both referring GPs and ID specialists.
- Further research is recommended to determine the impact of these consultations on patient care quality.
Related Concept Videos
01:17Transmission-based Precautions I: Contact, Enteric, and Droplets
Transmission-based precautions are for patients known to be infected or suspected to be infected or colonized with organisms that pose a significant risk to others. Some transmission-based precautions include contact, enteric, and droplet.
Contact Precautions:
Contact precautions are the measures taken to prevent the transmission of infectious agents, especially epidemiologically important microorganisms such as MRSA or influenza, primarily transmitted through direct or indirect contact with an...
Contact Precautions:
Contact precautions are the measures taken to prevent the transmission of infectious agents, especially epidemiologically important microorganisms such as MRSA or influenza, primarily transmitted through direct or indirect contact with an...
01:25Transmission-based Precautions II: Airborne and Protective Environment
Transmission-based precautions are for patients infected or suspected to be infected (or colonized) with organisms posing a significant risk to others. The transmission precautions include airborne and protective environment precautions.
Airborne precautions:
Use airborne precautions when treating patients known or suspected to have diseases that spread through the air—for example, tuberculosis or measles. These organisms are present in smaller droplets expelled by an infected person and...
Airborne precautions:
Use airborne precautions when treating patients known or suspected to have diseases that spread through the air—for example, tuberculosis or measles. These organisms are present in smaller droplets expelled by an infected person and...
01:20Infection
When a pathogen enters the body and reproduces, it can cause an infection, damage body cells, and cause illness symptoms that eventually lead to disease. Therefore, its prevention requires breaking the chain of infection.
The chain begins with pathogens: bacteria, viruses, fungi, prions, or parasites such as protozoa helminths. These can be present on the skin as transient or resident flora, or they can be acquired from the environment. Identifying and treating the type of infection and...
The chain begins with pathogens: bacteria, viruses, fungi, prions, or parasites such as protozoa helminths. These can be present on the skin as transient or resident flora, or they can be acquired from the environment. Identifying and treating the type of infection and...
01:28Infectious Diseases and Their Occurrence
Infectious diseases appear in populations through various transmission patterns, influenced by pathogen characteristics, population immunity, environmental conditions, and social behavior. Understanding these patterns is essential for effective public health surveillance and intervention. These categories—sporadic, outbreak, epidemic, pandemic, and endemic—help frame the nature and scope of disease events.Sporadic diseases occur irregularly and infrequently, without a predictable temporal or...
01:30Urinary Tract Infection III: Diagnostic Studies and Interprofessional Care
A healthcare provider can diagnose a urinary tract infection (UTI) through several methods:Medical History and Symptoms: The provider will take a detailed medical history and ask about symptoms such as frequent urination, burning sensation during urination, and lower abdominal pain.Urinalysis: A clean-catch urine sample is collected in a sterile container and tested for the presence of bacteria, white blood cells (leukocytes), nitrites, blood, and protein. The presence of leukocytes and...
01:26Standard Precaution
Standard precautions are the minimum infection control safeguards used while caring for all patients, irrespective of their disease condition. They help prevent the spread of common infectious microorganisms to healthcare workers, patients, and visitors in all healthcare settings.
Hand hygiene is the most crucial means to prevent the transmission of disease. Employers are legally required to provide their workers with personal protective equipment (PPE) to minimize exposure or contact with...
Hand hygiene is the most crucial means to prevent the transmission of disease. Employers are legally required to provide their workers with personal protective equipment (PPE) to minimize exposure or contact with...