First off, congratulations! And thank you! Phone consults are an essential part of solving the issue with waitlists in this country, and you are now part of the solution.
So you’ve received and email and text message that you’ve got your first phone consult. Here are some steps to take:
Input the information into your main calendar, either iCal, google calendar, or other favourite calendar. Set an alert, so that it will remind you ahead of the appointment. That way, all the information needed to connect will be automated.
Depending on your workflow you may want to review the consult immediately by logging into your Virtual Hallway account. We encourage specialists to do this ahead of time on the off chance that the consult request does not seem appropriate for a phone consult. If this is the case, you can cancel the consult request within the portal and include the reason so the family physician understands the reason for the declined consultation.
Nothing is worse than scrambling a minute before an appointment (though we’ve all done it!). Grab a quiet spot, open up the consult request, make the call and give your awesome, sage advice.
Immediately after the call (or during the call if you’re a multitasker) document the call in the consult response form. Document the start and stop time of the call. Then outline the call and outline your recommendations. Consider wrapping up your consult request with a final line such as ‘If further questions arise or the clinical situation changes please re-consult.’
That’s the whole process. Virtual Hallway will bill on your behalf and transfer your billings. Now get ready for your next consult!
