Telephone triage

 

• Positivity – “Come down and we’d be delighted…..”
• Incentives – Seen faster / No delay
• Politeness & open-mindedness (professionalism)
• Good communication skills – Ensuring that the patient understands what you’re talking about
• Clarification is essential
• Who’s problem ( Why me? Why now?)
• Consider medico-legal aspects
• Confidentiality – Is this the patient ? If not why not ?
• Be flexible
• Reward good behaviour
• Keep options open
• Address anxiety
• Explain plan – “If no better…then contact us again”
• Give patient options

Telephone vs. face to face

Telephone

Face-to-face

History only No previous relationship Knowledge of past medical history Not necessarily talking to patient More difficult to establish rapport Easier to put people off Easier to push dr’s agenda Difficulties of being recorded (this changes the very nature of the consultation) More difficult to assimilate information Difficulty interpreting symptoms & signs Deal with a greater workload Easier when patients only want reassurance May speed decision making in acute situations Patient expectation – people expect visits Misunderstandings may occur What if no phone? Difficulties less if own dr.

Face to face Opportunity to examine Body language / physical pointers Easier to communicate wheh have all other aspects (visual contact etc.) Harder to avoid the problem Easier to establish rapport & empathy Can observe other aspects (social / family) ? Encourages dependence on face to face contacts whereas advice may encourage self-reliance

Telephone Triage Techniques  

More on telephone triage  (this page)

Stages of the telephone consultation

Using telephones in primary care Peter D Toon BMJ 2002;324 1230-1231