How Can a Consultation Be Made Better?

Discussion Most physicians go into medicine because they like people and want to help them and their families. Clinical patient care can also be fun, interesting, intellectually challenging and provide a creative outlet. All physicians will never know everything and need help with patient care problems that arise. That is when a patient should be referred for a consultation. Effective consultations have several important components which can be overlooked. When clear questions with background information are asked and the consultant provides specific clear recommendations answering the question but also planning for contingencies, the patient will get excellent care and both the requesting physician and the consultant will both learn from the consultation. Patients and families should understand why the consultation is being requested so they can help the consultant and understand the consultant’s recommendations. Learning Point Some tips for effective consultations include: What is the Question? As the requesting physician (RP) actually phrase your question in the form of a question just like the television show Jeopardy! Don’t make the consultant guess what you want to know. Help the consultant to help you. Ask “What antibiotics should be started and for how long should the treatment be? or What else should be considered in the differential diagnosis at this time and what additional evaluations should be considered? “ Give the consultant enough ...
Source: PediatricEducation.org - Category: Pediatrics Authors: Tags: Uncategorized Source Type: news