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Tips

When to use the phone

Some health problems cannot be dealt with in a phone consultation – for example, those where the doctor needs to see or touch the patient. Some things that might be dealt with by telephone could include the following, though there may be circumstances where even these conditions are deemed too dangerous to diagnose or deal with over the phone:

  • coughs and/or breathlessness
  • earache
  • sore and/or discharging eyes
  • rashes and other skin problems
  • spinal pain and injuries
  • other musculoskeletal pain and injuries
  • diarrhoea
  • cystitis in women
  • emergency contraception
  • vaginal bleeding in early pregnancy
  • anxiety and depression.

What to say

Although there needs to be flexibility in the structure of telephone consultations, several key stages can be identified:

  • Identify yourself and the caller/person being called – the patient whenever possible.
  • Gather information, including social context and clinical history.
  • Address the biomedical aspects of the problem and the patient’s perspective.
  • Give a diagnosis or interpretation of the patient’s problem, with an explanation.
  • Signpost the point at which a triage or management decision must be made.
  • Negotiate the outcome according to agreed guidelines.
  • Make follow-up arrangements sharing thoughts on possible developments.
  • Prepare for the next call and be professionally safe, keeping good records.

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