Phone
Consul a ions During COVID-19 Dr Warrick Bishop
A
lthough the world’s health focus is on COVID-19, people who suffer a heart condition should continue to treat and manage their circumstances as a priority. While meticulous attention around the day-today virus-prevention considerations of social distancing, staying at home and handwashing ought to be adhered to, sufferers of any cardiovascular disease need to stay in contact with their cardiologist and give forethought to their medication supplies. TELEPHONE CONSULTATIONS
For telephone consultations: • know the time • be on time, and • be prepared for the phone call. 2. Time is limited. Your cardiologist works to a timetable. From your perspective: • Have the time of the telephone consultation in your diary, as you would if you were coming into the consulting rooms.
1. Help you to stay in touch.
• Remember, the time of the consultation is limited.
Telephone consultations are now commonplace. While they offer fantastic opportunities, they are not social calls, and there is etiquette, that when followed, helps everyone.
I’ve had patients who have gone to lunch, mistaken the time, been doing something else, or who have forgotten. Trying to make telephone consultations work between face-to-face consultations is difficult, and
DISCLAIMER
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