Models of Consultation

Abstract

A summary of models that have been proposed over the last 40 years: Jonathan Silverman There have been a number of helpful models of the consultation which have been produced over the last 30 years. Some are task-orientated, process or outcome-based; some are skills-based, some incorporate a temporal framework, and some are based on the doctor-patient relationship, or the patient's perspective of illness. Many incorporate more than one of the above. Models of the consultation give a framework for learning and teaching the consultation. Models enable the clinician to think where in the consultation they are experiencing the problem, and what they and the patient aiming towards. This is helpful in then identifying the skills that are needed to achieve the desired outcome.