Doodles that a general practitioner makes while concentrating on listening to a patient in person
or over the phone are an unconscious tool for improving concentration and information
retention during the consultation. These doodles are an unconscious metaphor for the doctor's
mood regarding the consultation and a type of mind map. Furthermore, doodles and the
Rorschach test are related: both are based on projective psychology and are tools for accessing
the unconscious. Thus, applying the "inverse of the Rorschach test" to the analysis of doodles is
a fascinating conceptual approach. Instead of interpreting someone else's inkblot, the subject
creates their own "blot," and the analyst or the doctor studies the structuring process: doodles
spirals signify "going around" with a confusing or complex symptom), arrows (total focus on
treatment; urgency to make a decision), squares or boxes (seeking structure, order, and control
over the patient's data), flowers or stars (positive mood and a sense of control over the
consultation), etc. The GP can move from a simple doodle to a useful diagnosis and learn to
better manage consultations, using those same strokes as a mental map. Finally, these ideas can
also be applied to the digital environment (touchscreens, styluses, and the mouse) in the
electronic health record. In short, doctor's doodles analysis is proposed as a qualitative tool for

reflecting on the medical consultation process, the doctor-patient relationship, and decision-
making, especially in general practice.