Nurse-doctor interaction in teleconsultations between a hospital and a geriatric nursing home.

The aim of the present study was to elucidate both the interaction between a doctor and five registered nurses and the problems or tasks dealt with in teleconsultations between a university clinic for geriatric medicine and a nursing home for the elderly in northern Sweden. The interaction and problems or tasks were studied through analyses of video-recorded teleconsultations and through open interviews with the participating staff. The results indicated that teleconsultations between a geriatrician and the nurses at a nursing home for the elderly can be a useful tool for providing medical services. Teleconsultations alter both the 'power-control' and 'practice spheres' for the doctor and the nurses, and must be based on mutual trust. The use of teleconsultations gives the nurse a larger role as the presenter of medical problems, and gives the doctor the role of remote consultant.