Understanding What Are the 5 C's of Consultation? A Guide to Effective Medical Communication

October 1, 2025 •

4 min read

Studies suggest that a significant portion of medical errors can be traced back to poor communication between healthcare providers. Learning what are the 5 C's of consultation, a standardized communication model, can help medical professionals and patients ensure clear, efficient, and safe interactions, thereby elevating the standard of general health care.

Quick Summary

This article explains the 5 C's model of consultation—Contact, Communicate, Core Question, Collaborate, and Close the Loop—a structured framework used by medical professionals to standardize communication, enhance patient safety, and improve overall health outcomes.

Key Points

Contact: A proper introduction and identification of all parties involved are crucial for building rapport and clear communication in medical consultations.
Communicate: Delivering a concise, accurate, and organized patient story prevents confusion and ensures the consulting physician has the necessary information.
Core Question: Defining the specific reason for the consultation and the expected timeframe is key to an efficient and productive interaction.
Collaborate: The consultation is a collaborative effort where mutual discussion and the incorporation of specialized recommendations lead to the best patient outcome.
Close the Loop: Ensuring all parties are aligned by summarizing and repeating the agreed-upon plan is essential for continuity of care and patient safety.
Patient-Centered 5 C's: Principles like Caring, Customizing, and providing Clear, Concise, and Correct information enhance patient trust and comprehension, leading to better health outcomes.

Enhancing Healthcare Collaboration with the 5 C's Model

In the complex landscape of medicine, effective communication is a non-negotiable pillar of quality patient care. When one physician needs to consult with a specialist or another department, a standardized approach is crucial for efficiency, accuracy, and patient safety. The 5 C's of Consultation model, originally adapted from a business framework by Dr. Chad Kessler, provides a reliable and validated structure for physician-to-physician communication. By following this model, healthcare teams can minimize misunderstandings and ensure all relevant information is exchanged systematically.

The Physician-to-Physician 5 C's Model

The Kessler 5 C's model is designed for a formal consultation request, particularly in high-pressure environments like the Emergency Department. Adherence to these steps ensures that both the consulting and consulting physicians are on the same page from the initial interaction to the final treatment plan.

Contact

The first step is to establish a clear and respectful point of contact. This goes beyond just dialing a number and includes proper introductions. The consulting physician should:

State their name, rank, and service (e.g., "This is Dr. [Name] from the Emergency Department").
Identify the supervising attending physician for clarity.
Confirm the name and service of the physician being consulted, which also serves to build rapport and ensure proper documentation.

Communicate

Once contact is established, the consulting physician must deliver a concise, organized, and accurate summary of the patient's case. Instead of a long, meandering narrative, the communication should be clear and focused. This includes:

Giving a brief, yet comprehensive, story about the patient.
Presenting accurate case information, such as vital signs, key lab results, and relevant history.
Speaking clearly and confidently to ensure the message is received without distortion.

Core Question

This step is arguably the most critical for an efficient consultation. The core question is the specific reason for the consult. It prevents ambiguity and focuses the discussion. The consulting physician should clearly state:

The specific question or request they have for the consultant (e.g., "We would like your recommendation on the management of this patient's abdominal pain").
The timeframe for the consultation, indicating if the request is urgent or non-emergent.

Collaborate

Effective consultation is a two-way street. After presenting the case, both parties must engage in a collaborative discussion. The goal is to reach a shared understanding and formulate a mutually agreeable plan for the patient. This involves:

Openly discussing the case and potential courses of action.
Being receptive to the consultant's recommendations and incorporating their specialized expertise.
Adjusting the management or testing plan as a result of the discussion.

Close the Loop

The final step ensures continuity and a clear path forward. Before concluding the interaction, the consulting physician should confirm the understanding of the plan. This can be done by:

Summarizing the decided plan, including any specific actions to be taken.
Repeating key information to ensure accuracy.
Thanking the consultant for their time and input.

Extending the 5 C's to Patient Communication

While the Kessler model is a powerful tool for inter-professional communication, the spirit of structured, empathetic communication extends to all healthcare interactions. Another widely recognized set of 5 C's is used to guide communication between providers and patients, fostering trust and improving health outcomes. These principles are also essential for robust general health management.

Caring: Demonstrating empathy and respect builds a strong, trusting relationship between a patient and their provider. This encourages patients to share information openly and become active participants in their care.
Customized: Tailoring communication to the patient's specific needs, preferences, and health literacy level ensures information is understood effectively. This includes offering information in various formats, such as visual aids or materials in different languages.
Clear: Medical information can be complex. Communication should be delivered in simple, plain language, avoiding technical jargon wherever possible. The "teach-back" method is an effective way to confirm a patient's understanding.
Concise: Information should be presented in a focused manner to avoid overwhelming the patient. Limiting the amount of information at a single visit and focusing on the most critical points can improve retention.
Correct: Always provide accurate and up-to-date information. If you do not know an answer, commit to finding it and following up with the patient promptly.

Comparison: Medical Consultation vs. Patient Communication 5 C's


Feature	Medical Consultation 5 C's (Kessler Model)	Patient Communication 5 C's (IHA)
Primary Goal	Standardize physician-to-physician communication to prevent medical errors.	Enhance patient satisfaction, build trust, and ensure patient understanding.
Audience	Other healthcare professionals, such as specialists or attending physicians.	The patient and their family.
Context	Often used in acute care settings like the ED for referral requests.	Applicable in any clinical setting, from routine check-ups to managing chronic conditions.
Key Focus Areas	* Contact (Introduction & Logistics)

Communicate (Case Summary)
Core Question (Specific Request)
Collaborate (Decision-making)
Close the Loop (Confirming Plan) | * Caring (Empathy & Respect)
Customized (Individualized Delivery)
Clear (Plain Language)
Concise (Focused Information)
Correct (Accurate Information) | Implementation | A structured, linear process to be followed during a consult call. | A set of guiding principles for building rapport and ensuring patient comprehension over time.

Conclusion

While originating from a specific medical context, the structured approach of the 5 C's of consultation provides a robust model for effective communication across the general health spectrum. Whether used by doctors collaborating on a complex case or by a provider explaining a new treatment plan to a patient, these frameworks foster clarity, accuracy, and mutual respect. By adopting these principles, healthcare professionals can improve efficiency, reduce errors, and ultimately deliver higher-quality care, reinforcing the importance of communication in safeguarding and improving general health outcomes for everyone. For further reading, an authoritative source on the topic can be found through MedEdPortal.

Frequently Asked Questions

The 5 C's of Consultation model was adapted from a business framework for medical use by Dr. Chad Kessler and his colleagues to improve physician communication, particularly in emergency medicine.

While Kessler's 5 C's model is primarily for physician-to-physician communication, its principles can be adapted for any professional healthcare setting. Separately, there is a set of 5 C's (Caring, Customized, Clear, Concise, Correct) specifically for provider-to-patient communication.

While all steps are vital, the 'Core Question' is often considered the most critical. Clearly stating the specific question or request prevents ambiguity and focuses the discussion, ensuring the consultant understands the purpose of the call.

By standardizing the process of exchanging information, the 5 C's model reduces the chances of miscommunication, which is a major contributor to medical errors. The 'Close the Loop' step, in particular, confirms the plan, preventing mistakes from misunderstanding.

In the medical consultation model, 'Close the Loop' means reviewing and repeating the final treatment or management plan with the consultant before ending the conversation. This confirms mutual understanding and prevents confusion.

Yes, the principles of the 5 C's are highly applicable in remote consultations. The structured approach ensures that all necessary information is exchanged clearly and systematically, even without a face-to-face interaction.

You will benefit from clearer and more consistent communication. When your provider uses these structured methods, it leads to better-informed decisions, reduces the potential for medical errors, and increases your confidence and trust in your healthcare team.