RESUMO
This descriptive study of telephone interviews, conducted between the staff of a diabetes unit and patients, is intended to clarify a professional manner in which the telephone should be used as part of patient care. Having examined simulated calls from diabetic patients, analysis of the interviews conducted by the doctors, nurses and members of the office staff in a hospital unit demonstrates wide differences in the content, the quality of the content, and the interview strategy. An interpretation of the results signals the importance of the manner in which the staff member answers, a knowledge of patients' genuine needs, and an ability to adequately acknowledge the emotional state of the patient. Structuring telephone conversations, allowing sufficient time for patient responses, avoids over-long interviews. The decisions taken by the staff member answering the call, in terms of advice and suggestions of actions to take, must be systematically backed-up by ensuring that the patient has properly understood what has been said. The study poses a number of questions, notably concerning the specific requirements demanded by these new remote-care services in the organization of care within a hospital unit, and the professional approach to the use of the telephone as part of the relationship with patients. Recommendations are given concerning the general principles governing a telephone interview and the definition of training objectives for healthcare professionals.
