Telephone consultations in primary care, how to improve their safety, effectiveness and quality
نویسنده
چکیده
Consultations on telephone are ever increasing especially in primary healthcare. Currently the estimated total number consultations in England rose from 224.5 million to 243.1 million in 1995/1996 to 303.9 million to 313.6 million in 2008/2009, out of which 3% of consultations in 1995/1996 were telephone consultations which increased to 12% in 2008/2009. Literature search was done on published articles on tele-healthcare which resulted in devising a telephone consultation model. An audit was carried out in urban Cambridge family practice over the period of one year after implementing this telephone consultation model. Following proposed consultation model by healthcare staff, it has improved patient satisfaction survey from 75% to 94%, face to face consultation rate was reduced by 1.6%, home visits were reduced by 2.9% however the direct economic saving could not be determined. Further research is required to assess the detailed economic analysis of using effective telephone consultation in healthcare. The data shown in this article is related to primary care in the UK, but its concept can be replicated by any country in Europe or rest of the world providing primary healthcare to public.
منابع مشابه
Improving quality and safety of telephone based delivery of care: teaching telephone consultation skills.
T he opportunity to consult by telephone is now an integral part of any modern patient centred healthcare system. The public values the option of consulting by telephone, citing advantages of quicker access to care, greater convenience, and more choice in the way health care is received. In the United States up to a quarter of all primary care consultations are now conducted over the telephone,...
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