RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 The process of clinical consultation is crucial to patient outcomes and safety: 10 quality indicators
JF Clinical Medicine
JO Clin Med
FD Royal College of Physicians
SP 503
OP 506
DO 10.7861/clinmed.2019-0263
VO 19
IS 6
A1 Gordon Caldwell
YR 2019
UL http://www.rcpjournals.org/content/19/6/503.abstract
AB In this paper, I discuss the central importance of the clinical consultation to defining the potential outcomes for an episode of care. The consultation is also crucial to patient safety. Yet the processes of clinical consultations on ward rounds and outpatients have attracted little attention in terms of ergonomics or research. I propose 10 quality indicators that would be simple to measure and could be used to improve clinical consultations. Better consultations would reduce the possibility of misdiagnosis and also improve patient outcomes, patient experience, patient safety and staff satisfaction. It is high time we improved clinical consultations in hospital settings.