A valuable, real-life learning opportunity

Zhou Yan, 40, is a cardiologist at Hailun People's Hospital in Hailun, Heilongjiang province. She has participated in seven long-distance consultations since November.

We doctors at the grassroots level often come across medical problems that we have no clue about, and typically suggest that the cases be transferred to specialists at hospitals. The downside of the practice is that we often get no feedback and would never know what was wrong with the patient. Now, the video call consultation with top medical experts－which started in November last year at my hospital－provides a valuable learning opportunity.

The consultation is different from taking refresher courses or attending academic forums－which mainly feature highly theoretical papers and lectures, rather than actual cases. During the video consultation, doctors from Beijing apply theory to the specific case at hand, which we find more rewarding.

If my judgment is recognized by the experts, I am greatly inspired, and the recognition helps build trust with my patients.

But in most cases, my diagnoses are only partially recognized, and certain further detailed examinations are suggested. This causes me to go back and read the patients' medical history intensively and make modifications in my future diagnoses.

To be frank, the video consultation adds to the workload for me and my colleagues. To prepare for a consultation, I spend a lot of time studying each patient's medical history, their diets and habits－including sleeping and smoking－in case the Beijing doctors ask. At first the hospital asked doctors with no tasks to attend the consultations, which led to some complaints. But as we realized how much progress we can make, we often regret it when we cannot make it to a consultation. The silver lining is that all consultations are recorded and archived. The attention I give to my patients also contributes positively to the doctor-patient relationship.

Zhou Yan spoke with Li Lei and Zhou Huiying.