title: A metric-based analysis of structure and content of telephone consultations of final-year medical students in a high-fidelity emergency medicine simulation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  In this study we aimed to analyse the structure and content of telephone consultations of final-year medical students in a high-fidelity emergency medicine simulation. The purpose was to identify any areas of deficiency within structure and content in the effective transfer of clinical information via the telephone of final-year medical students.
  
  
  METHODS
  An educational study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Simulation centre in a medical school.
  
  
  METHODS
  113 final-year medical students.
  
  
  METHODS
  The primary outcome was to analyse the structure and content of telephone consultations of final-year medical students in a high-fidelity emergency medicine simulation. The secondary outcome was to identify any areas of deficiency within structure and content in the effective transfer of clinical information via the telephone of final-year medical students.
  
  
  RESULTS
  During phone calls to a senior colleague 30% of students did not positively identify themselves, 29% did not identify their role, 32% did not positively identify the recipient of the phone call, 59% failed to positively identify the patient, 49% did not read back the recommendations of their senior colleague and 97% did not write down the recommendations of their senior colleague.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We identified a deficiency in our students skills to communicate relevant information via the telephone, particularly failure to repeat back and write down instructions. We suggest that this reflects a paucity of opportunities to practice this skill in context during the undergraduate years. The assumption that this skill will be acquired following qualification constitutes a latent error within the healthcare system. The function of undergraduate medical education is to produce graduates who are fit for purpose at the point of graduation.
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, University College Cork, Cork, Republic of Ireland.
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Henn
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Power
authors.forename: Simon D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: Theresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Power
authors.forename: Helen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hynes
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gaffney
authors.forename: John D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: McAdoo