Experiences of Obstetricians and Gynecologists in Teleconsultation with Medical Residents: A Qualitative Study

OBJECTIVE: To explore the experiences of specialists, residents, and experienced personnel of obstetrics and gynecology regarding telephone consultation by specialized residents and on-call experts

DESIGN: Qualitative study based on inductive content analysis.

SETTING: Three departments of obstetrics and gynecology, affiliated to Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.

POPULATION: A purposive sample of 16 specialists, residents and experienced staff.

METHODS: Eighteen semi-structured interviews were conducted.

RESULTS: Analysis of interview data resulted in 363 primary codes and six main themes including: “attempt to direct the process of telephone consultation”, “decision-making challenges of diagnostic-therapeutic plans for patients”, “attempt to verify the acquired findings”, “inefficacy in the face of life-threatening conditions”, “discriminations in legal confrontation with medical errors”, and “impact on emotions and personal life”.

CONCLUSIONS: Process of teleconsultation between physician and resident is associated with numerous challenges. Formal training sessions and considering new approaches of teleconsultation and telemedicine are needed to be implemented in order to reinforce the reliability of patient information transfer.