Are telephone consultations too risky?

doi:10.1136/bmj.326.7396.0/c

Are telephone consultations too risky?

Speed, enhanced access, convenience, and cost savings are the selling points of telephone consultations, but controversy aboutthe use of the telephone to deliver clinical care persists. Ina review of the use of telephone consultations in both acute andchronic conditions, Car and Sheikh (p 966) describe how patients'enthusiasm for telephone consultations is not matched by healthcareprofessionals, who worry about medicolegal risks. They say thatstaff training, standardised protocols, dedicated telephone time,improved documentation, and a low threshold for organising faceto face consultations will help enhance the quality and safetyof telephone consultations.

(Credit: BSIP, LAURENT/SPL)