Consultation etiquette: a proposed set of guidelines.

Abstract

Too often, actions and decisions affecting patient care are determined by expediency, cost-effectiveness, and time constraints. At risk of sacrifice are ethics and professionalism, pillars essential to the very structure of medical practice. In particular, there appears to be an erosion of consultation etiquette-exchanges between physicians and patients as well as among physicians. While methods to maximize efficiency are essential to medical practice, they should not come at the expense of etiquette. To improve patient care and strengthen relationships between patients and physicians, as well as relationships between referring and consulting physicians, a set of guidelines for improving consultation etiquette is proposed.