When the Best Interest of a Patient Is at Stake?
A consultation is “an appointment, by phone or by personally, with a professional or expert in order to obtain information for making an informed decision.” The common meaning is quite self-evident. The word “Consultation” has been derived from the similar word “Consulting” or “To consult.” Hence, the modern meaning of “Consultation” is the engagement of two people in discussing and formulating an opinion, which is to be accepted as correct. This modern usage of “Consultation” reflects the common practice in many fields, not specifically the consulting profession.
The practice of health care consulting involves the use of various techniques for initiating and arranging a series of meetings that lead to effective consultation. Such techniques include referral, which refers to the initial introduction of one’s case to another health care professional. Another such technique is medical review, which refers to the reviewing of medical facts shared by another health care professional to help a client to arrive at an informed decision about the recommended course of action.
Physicians, independent consultants, and other medical specialists who have expertise in particular areas or topics, refer their patients to consultants. In most cases, the referring physician retains the names of both the referring physician and the consulting physician during the course of the consultations. Generally, the two doctors work together, often working in tandem to provide consultation to the patient.
The primary purpose of such meetings is to develop a medical record that can be used to make subsequent therapeutic consultations. Such subsequent consultations take place when the patient is well enough to cooperate or has taken some measures toward recovery. During the consultations, the consulting physicians take notes on the discussions and provide their opinions to the referring physicians. The primary advantage to such document Reviews is that they provide more accurate, objective reporting about the services provided at each consultation. Secondarily, a reviewer’s report provides a basis for referral.
Some physicians prefer to leave the decision about the referral to a clinical associate or a board-certified intern at the clinic where the consultation was given. Such practitioners appreciate the time saved in not having to prepare the documents necessary for a referral to the appropriate reviewing entity. Other physicians, however, prefer for the referring physician to be involved in the process of selecting the appropriate medical expert. Such professionals recognize that referring to another physician provides an opportunity to learn more about a specific condition and to discuss issues regarding treatment options. The consultation also allows the referred physician to have more control over the care of a specific condition and to determine whether care should be offered under the care prescription from a specialist.
In addition to providing oversight of a specific consultation, the consultant also plays an essential role as a supportive partner during the course of the consultation. Although the consultation does involve an exchange of information, the consultancies also provide information and support to the referring physician. The successful completion of the consultation often requires information sharing between both parties. The right questions to help patients understand their condition and the recommended course of action. Similarly, consultants who are skilled in effective consultation are invaluable sources of information for physicians.
Many organizations have professional consultants who provide ongoing educational and developmental opportunities to their clients. These organizations have created structures that identify those individuals who meet a particular practitioner’s unique needs. Consultants are then trained to provide training and development activities on a regular basis to ensure ongoing education of their clients. These ongoing educational and development programs help ensure that all members of their organization to remain up-to-date on the many areas of practice related to their area of expertise.
As is true throughout the healthcare industry, a consultation has many unique elements. While it is important for a patient to make sure that the consultation is free of pressure, time constraints and other extraneous interruptions, the best interests of both the patient and the consulting professional may also come into play. If a practitioner pressures a patient to sign a consent form or submit to testing that he or she is not comfortable with, the patient may be less likely to engage in further consultation. However, if the consulting professional does not ask potential clients for detailed information or make clear offers to take part in future consultations, there is a strong likelihood that a consultation may actually foster rather than hinder a patient’s best interests.
