Is computer-assisted telephone triage safe? A prospective surveillance study in walk-in patients with non-life-threatening medical conditions

Emergency Medicine Journal

Volumn 29, Issue 2, 2012, Pages 124-128

  Meer, Andreas ^a   Gwerder, Thomas ^a   Duembgen, Lutz ^a   Zumbrunnen, Niki ^a   Zimmermann, Heinz ^a  

^a UNIVERSITY OF BERN   (Switzerland)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

ADULT; AGED; ALLERGIC REACTION; ARTICLE; COMPUTER AIDED DESIGN; CONTROLLED STUDY; COUNSELING; DEVICE SAFETY; EMERGENCY HEALTH SERVICE; EMERGENCY WARD; EPISTAXIS; EXTERNAL OTITIS; FEMALE; GASTRITIS; HAZARD ASSESSMENT; HEALTH HAZARD; HEALTH SURVEY; HOSPITAL PATIENT; HUMAN; LOWER ABDOMINAL PAIN; LYMPHADENITIS; MAJOR CLINICAL STUDY; MALE; MEDICAL EDUCATION; MEDICAL INFORMATION; MEDICAL RECORD; MEDICAL SPECIALIST; NURSE; PATIENT CARE; PHYSICIAN; PRIMARY MEDICAL CARE; PRIORITY JOURNAL; PROSPECTIVE STUDY; RHINITIS; TELEPHONE; TINNITUS; UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL;

ADULT; AMBULATORY CARE; DIAGNOSIS, COMPUTER-ASSISTED; EMERGENCY SERVICE, HOSPITAL; FEMALE; GENERAL PRACTICE; HOSPITALISTS; HOSPITALS, UNIVERSITY; HOTLINES; HUMANS; MALE; MIDDLE AGED; NURSING STAFF; POPULATION SURVEILLANCE; PROSPECTIVE STUDIES; SAFETY; SWITZERLAND; TRIAGE;

EID: 84856100801     PISSN: 14720205     EISSN: 14720213     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1136/emj.2009.080614     Document Type: Article

References (25)

1. Gnädinger M, Buchwalder CH, Orellano J, et al. Medizinisches Callcenter im Nachtdienst: Die Wirkung in Zahlen. PrimaryCare 2008;8:229-31.
2. Gnädinger M, Buchwalder CH, Orellano J, et al. Medizinisches Callcenter im Nachtdienst: Die Wirkung auf die Befindlichkeit. PrimaryCare 2008;8:258-60.
3. Meer A, Wirthner A, Simonin C. Medizinische Call Center entlasten den ambulanten Notfalldienst. Schweiz Ärzteztg 2005;86:1073-8.
4. Niemann S, Meer A, Simonin C, et al. Medical telephone triage and patient behaviour: how do they compare? Swiss Medical Weekly 2004;134:126-31. (Pubitemid 38332536)
5. Meer A, Simonin C, Trapp A, et al. Einfluss der medizinischen computerassistierten Telefontriage auf das Patientenverhalten: erste Erfahrungen in der Schweiz. Schweiz Ärzteztg 2003;84:2160-5.
6. Bunn F, Byrne G, Kendall S. Telephone consultation and triage: effects on health care use and patient satisfaction. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2004;(4):CD 004/80.
7. Munro J, Nicholl J, O'Cathain A, et al. Evaluation of NHS Direct first wave sites: final report of the phase 1 research Sheffield:Medical Care Research Unit (MCRU), University of Sheffield, 2001.
8. Derkx HP, Rethans JJ, Muijtjens AM, et al. Quality of clinical aspects of call handling at Dutch out of hours centres: cross sectional national study. BMJ 2008;337:a1264.
9. Giesen P, Ferwerda R, Tijssen R, et al. Safety of telephone triage in general practitioner cooperatives: do triage nurses correctly estimate urgency? Qual Saf Health Care 2007;16:181-4. (Pubitemid 46972860)
10. Dale J, Williams S, Foster T, et al. Safety of telephone consultation for "non-serious" emergency ambulance service patients. Qual Saf Health Care 2004;13:363-73. (Pubitemid 39389398)
11. O'cathain A, Nicholl J, Sampson F, et al. Do different types of nurses give different triage decisions in NHS Direct? A mixed methods study. J Health Serv Res Policy 2004;9:226-33.
12. Monaghan R, Clifford C, McDonald P. Seeking advice from NHS direct on common childhood complaints: does it matter who answers the phone? J Adv Nurs 2003;42:209-16. (Pubitemid 37266888)
13. Lattimer V, George S, Thompson F, et al. Safety and effectiveness of nurse telephone consultation in out of hours primary care: randomised controlled trial. The South Wiltshire Out of Hours Project (SWOOP) Group. BMJ 1998;317:1054-9. (Pubitemid 28466723)
14. Moll van Charante EP, ter Riet G, Drost S, et al. Nurse telephone triage in out-ofhours GP practice: determinants of independent advice and return consultation. BMC Fam Pract 2006;7:74.
15. Lowy A, Kohler B, Nicholl J. Attendance at accident and emergency departments: unnecessary or inappropriate? J Public Health Med 1994;16:134-40. (Pubitemid 24198767)
16. Kempe A, Bunik M, Ellis J, et al. How safe is triage by an after-hours telephone call center? Pediatrics 2006;118:457-63. (Pubitemid 46085398)
17. Snooks H, Peconi J, Munro J, et al. An evaluation of the appropriateness of advice and healthcare contacts made following calls to NHS Direct Wales. BMC Health Serv Res 2009;9:178.
18. Mader F, Weissgerber H. Allgemeinmedizin and Praxis Berlin, Heidelberg, New York: Springer-Verlag, 1995.
19. Duembgen L, Zumbrunnen N. Some methods for the comparison of three expert judgements Institute of Mathematical Statistics and Actuarial Science, University of Berne, 2008. http://www.imsv.unibe.ch/content/research/ publications/techrep/ index-eng.html.
20. Institute of Medicine. Committee on Quality of Health Care in America. Crossing the quality chasm: a new health system for the 21st century Washington, DC: National Academy Press, 2001.
21. Munro J, Clancy M, Knowles E, et al. Evaluation of NHS Direct: impact and appropriateness Sheffield, Medical Care Research Unit (MCRU), University of Sheffield; 2003.
22. Gribben B. General practitioners' assessments of the primary care caseload in Middlemore Hospital Emergency Department. N Z Med J 2003;116:U329.
23. St George I, Cullen M, Branney M. Healthline: do primary care doctors agree with the advice? N Z Med J 2005;118:U1693.
24. Gill JM, Reese CL, Diamond JJ. Disagreement among health care professionals about the urgent care needs of emergency department patients. Ann Emerg Med 1996;28:474-9. (Pubitemid 26367405)
25. O'Cathain A, Webber E, Nicholl J, et al. NHS Direct: consistency of triage outcomes. Emerg Med J 2003;20:289-92. (Pubitemid 36617335)