The shared consultation: a necessity in primary care clinics?

Ian Couper; Jannie Hugo; Andrew Truscott

The shared consultation: a necessity in primary care clinics?

Ian Couper University of the Witwatersrand
Jannie Hugo University of Pretoria
Andrew Truscott University of the Witwatersrand

Keywords: Consultation, Primary Health Care, Patient-Centered Care, Doctor-Nurse Relations, Nurse Practitioners.

Abstract

The shared consultation is a concept that differs from shared decision making and shared care. It involves two or more health professionals in the consultation of a patient during the same illness episode. Commonly, the health professionals are a primary-care doctor and a clinical nurse practitioner. On the basis of clinical Experience, a number of models of the relationship in such situations are described, viz the consultant, the master-servant, the teacher-pupil and the teamwork models. Issues of communication within the consultation, the patient as a person, continuity of care, and clarification of roles and responsibilities are Highlighted. More investigation is required to explore this further.

Author Biographies

Ian Couper, University of the Witwatersrand

BA, MBBCh, MFamMed, FCFP (SA) Professor of Rural Health, Department of Family Medicine, University of the Witwatersrand

Jannie Hugo, University of Pretoria

MBChB, MFamMed Associate Professor (Ambulatory Care), Department of Family Medicine, University of Pretoria

Andrew Truscott, University of the Witwatersrand

MBChB, MFGP (SA), H Dip Ad Ed Clinical Associates Coordinator, Department of Family Medicine, University of the Witwatersrand

Title Page

Published

2009-11-22

Issue

Vol 52, No 3 - May/June 2010

Section

Forum

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