Time to curb the curbside consultation: Medicolegal and quality considerations

Curbside consults refer to the practice of a consultant providing advice on patient management to a medical provider without the consultant independently performing a history and physical examination of the patient. The medical literature strongly suggests that curbside consults result in inaccurate advice and poor medical care compared to formal consultation. However, Children's National Hospital physicians are required to provide informal advice when other providers request. Developing consistent practice for curbside consultation can result in better outcomes for the requester, consultant, and patient. (6-19-19)