Telephone Consultations course for GPs

This session explores the issues that may arise when a consultation is conducted over the telephone, including how to minimise the possible negative factors. The advantages of using the phone are then discussed, following by a presentation of best practice advice.

This session was reviewed by Khyati Bakhai and last updated in December 2020.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this session you will be able to:

• List the reasons why the telephone can be an advantageous consultation tool
• Describe the drawbacks and possible negative outcomes
• List the reasons why some people may not be comfortable talking on the phone
• Discuss what sort of conversations should be avoided
• Give examples of best practice guidelines for using the telephone as part of a consultation

People have been using the telephone to consult a doctor from the time the telephone was invented in 1876. The COVID-19 pandemic led to a huge change in practice where over a short period of time, the majority of consultations across the country were initially taking place remotely, particularly over the phone.