Informal (“Curbside”) Consultations in Infectious Disease Practice: Advantages, Disadvantages, and Liability Issues

Abstract: Informal consultations are discussions between healthcare professionals outside of formal clinical settings. The process involves a physician directly involved in a patient’s care requesting informal advice or recommendations from a specialist, often an infectious disease colleague who is not directly involved in the patient’s care. Informal consultations are common in the daily practice of clinical infectious disease. When performed appropriately, these interactions can improve patient care, help build professional relationships, and foster business development. At the same time, informal consultations present challenges for busy infectious disease practitioners, including maintaining a high level of care, time constraints, documentation concerns, financial concerns, and potential legal liability. This paper reviews the prevalence, benefits, risks, and ethical implications of curbside consults in the practice of infectious disease.