Consultation
History
Dr Elliott will take a detailed history of your presenting complaint. He will need to know how your condition is affecting your ability to perform activities of daily living, personal cares, work duties and recreation.
Dr Elliott uses voice recognition software, to record and transcribe the consultation. This creates a detailed record which will be sent to your referring clinician and GP. A copy will also be sent to you.
Examination
Dr Elliott will examine your affected joint and possibly adjacent joints that could cause referred symptoms.
Dr Elliott recommends attending the clinic in clothing that can easily expose your problematic joint. In addition it is ideal to see the opposite joint to compare for asymmetry of muscle mass and alignment.
Knee conditions - wear or bring shorts or a skirt
Shoulder conditions - wear a singlet or be prepared to take off your shirt for examination.
Hip conditions - wear appropriate underwear as you may be asked to remove your trousers or skirt for the hip examination.
Elbow conditions – wear clothing that can expose above the elbow to the upper arm.
Investigations
Dr Elliott may require further investigations to achieve a diagnosis. These may include:
Xrays
Ultrasound scan
CT Scan
MRI scan
Nerve conduction studies
Injections
Injections can serve two purposes:
They can take away pain transiently or permanently and avoid the need for surgery.
They can help confirm a diagnosis. If an injection takes away your pain its very likely the correct diagnosis and root of your problem has been identified. If your pain recurs surgery may be a good option.
Assessment
On the basis of the information gathered, Dr Elliott will formulate an opinion as to your diagnosis, and discuss a management plan. This may evolve as further investigations and treatments options.
At the end of each consultation Dr Elliott will create a letter with his current assessment which will be sent electronically to your referring practitioner, your GP, and yourself. This is often made using an Artificial Intelligence scribe for the clinical details, with Dr Elliott dictating the diagnosis, plan and examination findings.
Recording of consultation
Dr Elliott uses a medical AI platform to record and transcribe the consultation. Confidentiality and personal data protection is guaranteed by the provider. This enables detailed record taking and creates a comprehensive summary of the consultation. Dr Elliott edits and adds to this transcript to create a letter.
A copy of this consultation will be sent to you for your records, meaning you do not need to take detailed notes during the consultation. Please inform Dr Elliott if you have any questions about this process, or do not wish to have a recording and summary of the consultation made.