rovision of high-quality service in general practice or primary care system is linked with communication and consultation skills of a doctor. General practice consultation is a skill that needs to be acquired through training. A GP must be highly skilled in dealing with day to day and complex clinical scenarios. It is important for the patient that the doctor interact with them and be respectful. Patients should feel heard. Clear and effective communication reduces the risk of misunderstanding, misdiagnosis and medical errors. It encourages patients to be open and honest, which is crucial for effective treatment.

GPs who communicate well with their patients often experience greater professional satisfaction and less burnout. They can identify patients’ problems more accurately. This improves compliance with treatment and results in better outcomes – emotional health, symptom resolution and pain control.

There are several models of primary care consultations, which if incorporated in undergraduate and postgraduate curricula can benefit fresh graduates and those getting ready to practice independently. Using a consultation model helps GPs stay focused and makes it less likely to miss important details. Some of the steps of primary care consultations include: focusing on presenting complaints, checking for danger signs, followed by appropriate investigation and management. Each component has various sub-components which one needs to have command over. This is achieved through training of primary care physicians.

A good consultation should include active listening and paying full attention to show that the doctor is fully engaged and has concern for the patient’s feelings and experience. Using clear and simple language with a gentle and caring tone makes the patient feel comfortable and valued. Non-verbal communication, including maintaining good eye contact and using appropriate body language, is also important during patient interaction. To gain patient’s trust, GPs need to be honest and transparent. They should provide accurate information and set realistic expectations. They should ensure confidentiality and respect the patient’s privacy.

Patient education, including informing them about what to look for if symptoms worsen, is an essential part of GP consultation. Such safety measures while consulting not only make a family doctor safe and competent but also result in a good relationship and trust between the patient and the physician. Delivering high quality consultations is linked with appropriate trainings of primary care physicians. Ideally, such trainings should begin at the undergraduate level.

In countries lacking a robust and organised primary care system, quality and duration of consultations vary. Furthermore, there is no appointment system, no referral system, no patient education and navigation within the system. This is exacerbated by illiteracy, poverty and a large patient influx in out-patient departments.

GPs who communicate well with their patients often experience greater professional satisfaction and less burnout. They can identify patients’ problems more accurately. This improves compliance with treatment which results in better outcomes – emotional health, symptom resolution and pain control.

An informal survey on a social media platform to find out what practicing general practitioners or family medicine specialists in South Asian countries felt about having a communication and consultations skills courses/ workshops as part of post graduate training? The forum consisted of approximately 90 primary care physicians working as general practitioners or based as faculty members in family medicine departments of teaching institutions across countries in South Asia region.

There were 18 responses from physicians from Pakistan, 9 from India, 5 from Sri Lanka, 2 from Bangladesh and one each from Nepal and Bhutan. Some selected more than one options. A total of 51 responses were received. 32 (62.7 per cent) agreed that such courses will improve overall outcome and quality of their work. There were 11 (21.5 per cent) and 8 (15.6 per cent) who believed that such workshops are important as there is no exposure to family medicine at undergraduate level and existing post graduate trainings in this domain are insufficient. It was interesting to note that there was zero response from six countries to the option “I am happy with existing skills and system of family medicine trainings.”

How can we work on improving these figures and addressing the matter at hand? How does one go about dealing with the problem highlighted by the survey? Which mechanisms can be used: patient feedback, supervision of trainees, work-place based assessments?

How can they be incorporated in the existing family medicine post-graduate curricula? Are we addressing the barriers to good GP consultation?

Contemporary information obtained through social media can help gather evidence and review practices. This survey can be used as a starting point for conducting further research and carry out detailed analysis.

Effective communication is very important for GPs in providing high-quality care. It not only helps in accurate diagnosis and treatment but also enhances patient satisfaction, compliance, and health outcomes. Learning and practicing good consultation skills should be a continuous process for GPs to ensure they meet the diverse needs of their patients.

Dr Hina Jawaid is an associate professor in family medicine at Health Services Academy, Islamabad

Dr Abdul Jalil Khan is the director of the Institute of Family Medicine at Khyber Medical University, Peshawar