AIM: To evaluate a telephone nurse triage model in terms of appropriateness of referrals to the appropriate level of care, patient's compliance with given advice and costs. BACKGROUND: A key concern in each telephonic consultation is to evaluate if appropriate. METHOD: An evaluative design in primary health care with consecutive patients (N = 362) calling telephone nurse triage between November 2002 and February 2003. RESULTS: The advice was considered adequate in 325 (97.6%) cases. The patients' compliance with self-care was 81.3%, to primary health care 91.1% and to Accident and Emergency department 100%. The nurses referred self-care cases (64.7%) and Accident and Emergency cases (29.6%) from a less adequate to an appropriate level of care. The cost saving per call leading to a recommendation of self-care was euro 70.3, to primary health care euro 24.3 and to Accident and Emergency department euro 22.2. CONCLUSIONS: The telephone nurse triage model showed adequate guidance for the patients concerning level of care and released resources for the benefit of both patients and the health care system.
AIM: To evaluate a telephone nurse triage model in terms of appropriateness of referrals to the appropriate level of care, patient's compliance with given advice and costs. BACKGROUND: A key concern in each telephonic consultation is to evaluate if appropriate. METHOD: An evaluative design in primary health care with consecutive patients (N = 362) calling telephone nurse triage between November 2002 and February 2003. RESULTS: The advice was considered adequate in 325 (97.6%) cases. The patients' compliance with self-care was 81.3%, to primary health care 91.1% and to Accident and Emergency department 100%. The nurses referred self-care cases (64.7%) and Accident and Emergency cases (29.6%) from a less adequate to an appropriate level of care. The cost saving per call leading to a recommendation of self-care was euro 70.3, to primary health care euro 24.3 and to Accident and Emergency department euro 22.2. CONCLUSIONS: The telephone nurse triage model showed adequate guidance for the patients concerning level of care and released resources for the benefit of both patients and the health care system.
Authors: Jane W Njeru; Swathi Damodaran; Frederick North; Debra J Jacobson; Patrick M Wilson; Jennifer L St Sauver; Carmen Radecki Breitkopf; Mark L Wieland Journal: BMC Health Serv Res Date: 2017-11-09 Impact factor: 2.655
Authors: K Dahlgren; M J Holzmann; A C Carlsson; P Wändell; J Hasselström; T Ruge Journal: Scand J Prim Health Care Date: 2017-03-03 Impact factor: 2.581