J T Benjamin1. 1. Department of Pediatrics, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, USA.
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: To describe a pediatric resident telephone triage system in a tertiary hospital and to determine its relevance to telephone experience in general pediatric practice DESIGN: An analysis of 514 telephone calls from parents of continuity clinic patients made to pediatric residents. The evaluation included: chief complaint, disposition of call, age of patient, and level of training of the resident answering the call. A comparison was made with published information about a private-practice telephone triage system. SETTING: Pediatric continuity clinic, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta. PATIENTS: Children registered in the pediatric resident continuity clinic at the Medical College of Georgia. RESULTS: The 13 most frequent reasons for calling were some of the most common problems seen in pediatric practice. The disposition of calls was as follows: 272 (53%) were given telephone advice alone, 119 (23%) were offered an appointment for the next day, and 123 (24%) were advised to come to the emergency department immediately. Disposition did not vary with residency level. Both chief complaints and disposition of calls were similar to those reported in a private-practice nurse triage system. CONCLUSIONS: Answering telephone calls in a residency telephone triage system, when combined with a curriculum that includes next-day monitoring, feedback from a preceptor, and seminar discussions focused on telephone management situations, is a valuable training experience and is relevant for residents going into private pediatric practice.
OBJECTIVES: To describe a pediatric resident telephone triage system in a tertiary hospital and to determine its relevance to telephone experience in general pediatric practice DESIGN: An analysis of 514 telephone calls from parents of continuity clinic patients made to pediatric residents. The evaluation included: chief complaint, disposition of call, age of patient, and level of training of the resident answering the call. A comparison was made with published information about a private-practice telephone triage system. SETTING: Pediatric continuity clinic, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta. PATIENTS: Children registered in the pediatric resident continuity clinic at the Medical College of Georgia. RESULTS: The 13 most frequent reasons for calling were some of the most common problems seen in pediatric practice. The disposition of calls was as follows: 272 (53%) were given telephone advice alone, 119 (23%) were offered an appointment for the next day, and 123 (24%) were advised to come to the emergency department immediately. Disposition did not vary with residency level. Both chief complaints and disposition of calls were similar to those reported in a private-practice nurse triage system. CONCLUSIONS: Answering telephone calls in a residency telephone triage system, when combined with a curriculum that includes next-day monitoring, feedback from a preceptor, and seminar discussions focused on telephone management situations, is a valuable training experience and is relevant for residents going into private pediatric practice.
Authors: Jeanne M Franzone; Benjamin C Kennedy; HelenMari Merritt; Jessica T Casey; Melissa C Austin; Timothy J Daskivich Journal: J Grad Med Educ Date: 2015-12