Tele-health: lessons and strategies from specialists in poison information.

OBJECTIVE The use of the telephone for providing healthcare is growing. The aim of this exploratory study was to describe tele-health lessons and strategies as discussed by specialists who provide information and recommendations on poison control hotlines. METHODS Three focus groups of 25 participants who work as specialists in poison information in poison control centers were conducted. Group discussions were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. RESULTS Themes that emerged from the data on strategies for telephone communication include: taking control of the call, developing a therapeutic relationship, tailoring communication to fit each caller, preventing information overload, confirming caller understanding, and hands-on training for the development of telephone communication skills. CONCLUSION Specialists in poison information identified challenges specific to communicating with patients over the telephone and reported several types of strategies they used to manage them. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS Telephone communication training may be needed to assist health care providers in improving their communication skills.