PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Umar Chaudhry
AU  - Judith Ibison
AU  - Tess Harris
AU  - Imran Rafi
AU  - Miles Johnston
AU  - Tim Fawns
TI  - Understanding the learning needs of London-based GP trainees in conducting telephone consultations
AID  - 10.3399/bjgp19X703457
DP  - 2019 Jun 01
TA  - British Journal of General Practice
PG  - bjgp19X703457
VI  - 69
IP  - suppl 1
4099  - http://bjgp.org/content/69/suppl_1/bjgp19X703457.short
4100  - http://bjgp.org/content/69/suppl_1/bjgp19X703457.full
SO  - Br J Gen Pract2019 Jun 01; 69
AB  - Background Telehealth care and telephone consultations are increasingly used in primary care for daily triage, patient reviews, and providing clinical information; however little is known about the perceptions of GP trainees.Aim To investigate the knowledge and skills of GP trainees in conducting telephone consultations; evaluate their current experiences and learning needs; and identify future training considerations based on feedback received.Method Using a mixed-methods approach, a cross-sectional quantitative survey of North Central and East London (NCEL) GP trainees was initially performed. This was followed-up by qualitative semi-structured interviews, which allowed deeper exploration of themes.Results In total 100 trainees responded to the survey, and eight proceeded with interviews. Trainees were least confident in independently undertaking more complex aspects of telephone consulting, and there was a positive correlation between training received and confidence to work independently. Despite positive and negative experiences, trainees felt that there were gaps in their training and significant differences in overall confidence, supervision and feedback among different training grades and between in-hours and out-of-hours practice. Future considerations included curricular promotion, increased trainer-trainee observations using audio-clinical observation tools or simulated practice, and consideration of formal training.Conclusion This project has shed light on the current learning, feedback, and assessment practices of GP trainees in conducting telephone consultations. Further evaluation will provide a helpful guide to various stakeholders, foresee any challenges and inform a wider debate among postgraduate learners regarding their training for the use of technology in healthcare.