title: Tele-health: lessons and strategies from specialists in poison information.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The use of the telephone for providing healthcare is growing. The aim of this exploratory study was to describe tele-health lessons and strategies as discussed by specialists who provide information and recommendations on poison control hotlines.
  
  
  METHODS
  Three focus groups of 25 participants who work as specialists in poison information in poison control centers were conducted. Group discussions were analyzed using qualitative content analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Themes that emerged from the data on strategies for telephone communication include: taking control of the call, developing a therapeutic relationship, tailoring communication to fit each caller, preventing information overload, confirming caller understanding, and hands-on training for the development of telephone communication skills.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Specialists in poison information identified challenges specific to communicating with patients over the telephone and reported several types of strategies they used to manage them.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Telephone communication training may be needed to assist health care providers in improving their communication skills.
authors: College of Nursing, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA. erin.rothwell@nurs.utah.edu
authors: Erin W
authors: EW
authors: Rothwell
authors: Lee
authors: L
authors: Ellington
authors: Sally
authors: S
authors: Planalp
authors: Barbara Insley
authors: BI
authors: Crouch
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003142:Communication; D004346:Drug Information Services; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D015277:Hotlines; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011039:Poison Control Centers / Q000592:standards; D036301:Qualitative Research; D019114:Remote Consultation; D013038:Specialization