Telephone Assessment in Primary Care

At a time when primary care has never been busier, the ability to assess effectively by telephone is vitally important. By understanding the problems of this demanding and risk-prone area, clinicians are better able to balance patient needs with workload demands and access to face-to-face appointments.This book provides GPs, practice nurses and out-of-hours workers with a practical guide to what is required when undertaking triage or consultations on the telephone. Using real-world examples throughout, the book offers:A step-by-step guide to the basic principles of telephone assessmentA summary of the potential pitfalls and how to avoid themGuidance on how to quality-assure each call before concluding safelyProtocols to use for every callTelephone Assessment in Primary Care is based around the author s personal experience working in clinical telephone services. In addition, her work running training courses on telephone triage and consultation helps her to highlight common problems and provide practical solutions.