Tips for successful remote consultations with patients with additional needs

To make consultations with patients who have additional needs, such as learning disabilities or autism, as successful as possible, it can be helpful to:

• allow more time for them
• check regularly that the patient is finding the consultation helpful
• consider whether other forms of communication would be more suitable
• augment the consultation with written material and follow up via email
• have family members or carers present
• apply a lower threshold for a comfort follow-up call the next day than you would normally.