Journal article
Email teleconsultations: well formulated clinical referrals reduce the need for clinic consultation
Journal of telemedicine and telecare, Vol.12(1), pp.33-38
01/2006
DOI: 10.1258/135763306775321434
PMID: 16438777
Abstract
We examined how well primary-care physicians formulated their clinical referrals when asking for help with patient-related clinical problems using an email-based teleconsultation service. Over 100 family physicians made use of the service. The specialists were medical school faculty members. The service was initiated in May 1996 with 19 specialists and expanded to 34 specialties over the next five years. A total of 1618 patient-related clinical questions were analysed, the outcome for the analysis being whether specialists recommended a clinic consultation. Specialists recommended a clinic consultation in response to 10% of their clinical questions about patients. There was a strong association between how family physicians formulated their clinical questions and whether the specialist recommended a clinic consultation. When the family physicians specified a clinical task (P<0.001), intervention (P=0.004) and outcome (P<0.001) in their questions, specialists were less likely to recommend a clinic consultation. This influence was independent of the amount of clinical information included with the question (P>0.05). About 5% of the questions that included all three question components resulted in the recommendation for a clinic consultation, compared with nearly 30% of the questions containing none of these components. How family physicians formulate their clinical questions influences whether specialists request a clinic consultation.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Email teleconsultations: well formulated clinical referrals reduce the need for clinic consultation
- Creators
- George R Bergus - Department of Family Medicine, Carver College of Medicine, Iowa, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Carver College of Medicine, University of lowa, Iowa, USAMyra Emerson - Department of Family Medicine, Carver College of Medicine, Iowa, USADavid A Reed - Office for Nursing Research, College of Nursing, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USAAshok Attaluri - Department of Family Medicine, Carver College of Medicine, Iowa, USA
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Journal of telemedicine and telecare, Vol.12(1), pp.33-38
- DOI
- 10.1258/135763306775321434
- PMID
- 16438777
- NLM abbreviation
- J Telemed Telecare
- ISSN
- 1357-633X
- eISSN
- 1758-1109
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 01/2006
- Academic Unit
- Physician Assistant Studies; Psychiatry; Family and Community Medicine
- Record Identifier
- 9984006316502771
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