Residents on the Phone

Abstract

To the Editor.— Dr Wood has raised a number of valid points in her article, "Pediatric Resident Training in Telephone Management: A Survey of Training Programs in the United States" (Pediatrics 1986;77:822-825). Residents do manage many patient-initiated telephone calls in clinics and emergency rooms. The acquisition of diagnostic skills and efficiency in "telephone medicine" during residency is important not only for practice as a resident but also for the practicing pediatrician, in fee-for-service or prepaid (HMO) group practice.