Are you making these pitfalls?
By the end of this article you will learn what you can do to avoid them and pass the MRCGP SCA.
Failing to build rapport
It is more difficult to develop a genuine connection over the phone. This can affect the patient’s willingness to open up and share important details about their condition.
Start the conversation by introducing yourself and your role. Greet the patient. It helps to speak with a smile and a friendly tone. Confirm their name and date of birth to ensure that you are speaking to the correct person. Be mindful that there may be other people in the patient’s environment or they may be out and about. Check whether it’s a good time to start the consultation. Explain why you’ve called and that you’d like to ask some questions to see how you can help.
Incomplete medical history
Without being able to physically perform an examination, a doctor may take shortcuts and forget to ask key questions about the patient’s medical history. This can lead to misdiagnosis or incorrect treatment.
It’s important to make a safe assessment and consider a range of differentials. Ask red flag questions to exclude serious conditions. Jot down important issues you need to address so you don’t forget them.
Missing cues
It’s so easy to miss important non verbal cues such as changes in a patient’s breathing or tone of voice. Some of which may indicate a worsening of their condition.
I asked a 60-year-old man over the phone about the impact of work on his illness. I heard a long sigh before he said it was fine. The sigh turned out to be a cue. Had I not picked up the non verbal cue, I would not have learnt about the stress he experienced because of pressure from his boss.
To ensure effective communication, active listening is critical. Pay close attention to what patients say and how they say something. Pick up on verbal and non verbal cues
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Inadequate communication
Some doctors have a tendency to use medical jargon or complicated terms such as FBC, TFT and PSA. Patients may get confused since they don’t understand these medical terms.
The choice of language is critical. Use the patient’s own words in your explanation. This will help them understand what you wish to convey. Avoid using jargon where possible. Chunk and check to ensure your advice is understood.
Not taking into account the patient’s unique circumstances
Its more tricky to fully understand a patient’s unique circumstances without seeing the latter, such as their living situation or support network. It’s important to consider these factors when making treatment recommendations or providing medical advice. For example, a patient may refuse to be admitted because he is worried of leaving his cat alone.
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