By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
  • Health
    • Mental Health
    Health
    Healthcare organizations are operating on slimmer profit margins than ever. One report in August showed that they are even lower than the beginning of the…
    Show More
    Top News
    mosquito misting spray to fight malaria
    Avoid Malaria with Mosquito Misting Systems
    June 12, 2023
    Medical Surveys
    Beyond the Clinic: Medical Surveys Are a Roadmap to Passive Income for Doctors
    September 23, 2023
    Glutathione
    What Are The Benefits of Glutathione?
    January 22, 2024
    Latest News
    6 Easy Healthcare Ways to Sit Less and Move More Every Day
    September 10, 2025
    7 Most Common Healthcare Accreditation Programs: Which Should You Use?
    August 20, 2025
    Hospital Pest Control and the Fight Against Superbugs
    August 20, 2025
    Hygiene Beyond The Clinic: Attention To Overlooked Non-Clinical Spaces
    August 13, 2025
  • Policy and Law
    • Global Healthcare
    • Medical Ethics
    Policy and Law
    Get the latest updates about Insurance policies and Laws in the Healthcare industry for different geographical locations.
    Show More
    Top News
    Tips for Older Travelers
    April 14, 2012
    Anti-RUC Suit Challenges Process for Setting Doc Pay Scales
    October 25, 2011
    Math Matters: Dosing Errors Can Be Deadly
    May 1, 2012
    Latest News
    Healthcare at a Crossroads: Why Leadership Matters More Than Ever
    September 9, 2025
    How Social Security Disability Shapes Access to Care and Everyday Health
    August 22, 2025
    How a DUI Lawyer Can Help When Your Future Health Feels Uncertain
    August 22, 2025
    How One Fall Can Lead to a Long Road of Medical Complications
    August 22, 2025
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: How Can We Improve the Clinical Consultation?
Share
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
Font ResizerAa
Search
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Health Works Collective > eHealth > How Can We Improve the Clinical Consultation?
eHealth

How Can We Improve the Clinical Consultation?

malpani
malpani
Share
5 Min Read
SHARE
 

The traditional doctor-patient relationship has always relied upon an initial face to face consultation , to initiate the a

 

The traditional doctor-patient relationship has always relied upon an initial face to face consultation , to initiate the association . This has a lot of advantages, but it has lots of problems as well. Patients have to travel to see their doctor, and this can be very time-consuming with today’s traffic jams. They have to wait in the clinic ; and the doctor may be stuck in an emergency at that time, as a result of which he is running late ; or may not even be able to see the patient as scheduled . This creates a lot of inconvenience for the patient . Also , a face-to-face consultation is not necessarily the best way of exchanging information with the doctor. He may be in a bad mood because he may have run into a complication , as a result of which he may be short tempered . He may end up using a lot of jargon and may not explain things well because he is short of time and has lots of other patients to see. In addition, it’s well documented that patients forget half of what the doctor tells them , because of the stress of the consultation.

However , one major advantage a real life consultation offers is that it allows the patient to actually check out the doctor . He can feel the ambience of the clinic  and see how patient friendly it is. Is the staff
helpful ? Can he trust the doctor ? A face-to-face consultation allows the patient to judge the doctor’s bedside manner firsthand, so he can assess whether the chemistry between the doctor and him is good; and whether they will be able to establish a productive partnership. However, because of the time and expense involved in doing these consultations , we need to start looking for alternative measures.

One way is to do virtual consultations using videoconferencing and these have become increasingly popular. However, consultations serve two different purposes. One is to meet the information needs of the patient, where the doctor makes a diagnosis ; and formulates a treatment plan . An equally important ( but often neglected ) function is to meet the emotional needs of the patient , so he can decide if he is comfortable with the doctor and is happy working with him.

A good consultation addresses both these needs; and while both are equally important , they are slightly different , and are best met with different tools . It’s now possible to use a mix-and-match of tools , so that both doctors and patients are happy with each other. Thus, the information needs can be best met through online patient education using a website or e-mail ; while consultations are best for meeting the emotional needs. These could be done by videoconferencing ; or a face-to-face consultation.

However, some of these services could be misused. For example , patients could send lots of e-mails to doctors without actually intending to take treatment from them ; and lots of doctors may get irritated by this,  because it consumes their time , and is not a service for which they receive any income.

This is a great opportunity for clever entrepreneurs to think of new and more efficient ways of connecting doctors and patients, which doesn’t eat into the doctor’s time, but can increase the level of trust and confidence which the patient has in the doctor.

 
TAGGED:doctor/patient relationship
Share This Article
Facebook Copy Link Print
Share

Stay Connected

1.5kFollowersLike
4.5kFollowersFollow
2.8kFollowersPin
136kSubscribersSubscribe

Latest News

a woman walking on the hallway
6 Easy Healthcare Ways to Sit Less and Move More Every Day
Health
September 9, 2025
Clinical Expertise
Healthcare at a Crossroads: Why Leadership Matters More Than Ever
Global Healthcare
September 9, 2025
travel nurse in north carolina
Balancing Speed and Scope: Choosing the Nursing Degree That Fits Your Goals
Nursing
September 1, 2025
intimacy
How to Keep Intimacy Comfortable as You Age
Relationship and Lifestyle Senior Care
September 1, 2025

You Might also Like

Address Workplace Stress with Help from a Digital Coaching Program

May 29, 2013
crowdsourcing medical education
eHealthMedical EducationMedical InnovationsNewsSocial Media

“The Power of Crowdsourcing”: A Primer on Trending Medical Education

September 12, 2013

Study: Willingness To Use PHRs Not Linked to Age, Education, Income

October 18, 2012

Healthcare Marketing 2014: 10 Reasons to Demand Digital

September 27, 2013
Subscribe
Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!
Follow US
© 2008-2025 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?