We measured it: about 7 minutes of every 15-minute consult goes to history-taking that could have happened before the patient walked in. Onset, severity, what they've tried, whether they've had it before — none of it requires you in the room.
What pre-consult triage moves
When the patient completes a quick triage on the way to the appointment, you walk into the room already knowing the chief complaint, the onset, the severity, the prior trials, and the patient's stated concern. The first words out of your mouth can be specific — 'I see this started yesterday after lifting, and the right calf tingling is what worried you' — not generic.
Why patients prefer it
Counterintuitively, patients consistently rate the consult higher when triage happens on the phone first. The theory we're testing: by the time they sit down, they've already organised their own thoughts. The consult becomes a conversation about what to do, not a recap of what happened.