Introduction: Telephone triage services (TTS) play an increasing role in the delivery of healthcare. The objective of this study was to characterize the adult users of a TTS for non-critical emergencies, describe the types of advice given and their subsequent observation, and assess the influence of TTS on the use of the healthcare system in a sanitary region of Switzerland.
Methods: Data from a TTS based in the French part of Switzerland were analyzed. This service consists of a medical contact center for non-critical emergencies, with trained nurses available 24/7. A random selection of 2,034 adult calls was performed between July and December 2018. Research students contacted users 2 to 4 weeks after the initial call and assessed sociodemographic and clinical data, as well as the impact of the advice received on the use of the healthcare system.
Results: A sample of 412 users was included in the analyses. The average age was 49.0 (SD 20.4) years; 68.5% were women and 72.8% of Swiss origin. The two main recommendations provided by nurses were to consult the emergency department (ED) (44.6%, n = 184) and to contact a physician on duty (33.2%, n = 137). The majority of users followed the advice given by the nurses (substantial agreement [k = 0.79] with consulting the ED and perfect agreement [k = 0.87] with contacting a physician on duty). We calculated that calling the TTS could decrease the intention to visit the ED by 28.1%.
Conclusion: TTS for non-critical emergencies have the potential to decrease the use of ED services.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
|---|---|
| http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8018644 | PMC |
| http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0249287 | PLOS |
Publication Analysis
Top Keywords
Similar Publications
Improving Quality of Care for Vacation-Related Emergency Department Visits: A Narrative Review of Patient Satisfaction and Contributing Factors.
Cureus
November 2024
Department of Emergency Medicine, Ibn Sina Hospital, Makkah, SAU.
Emergency departments (EDs) encounter substantial challenges during peak vacation periods, including increased patient volumes, limited access to medical histories, language and cultural barriers, insurance complexities, and disruptions in continuity of care. These factors strain emergency department operations, resulting in prolonged wait times, diagnostic errors, and compromised care quality. This study reviews the literature to identify patient satisfaction indicators and common challenges and evaluate strategies to improve patient outcomes during vacation-related emergency department visits.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFProthrombotic state and thrombotic events in COVID-19 pandemic period, including portal vein and splenic artery thromboses.
World J Clin Cases
November 2024
Department of Emergency Medicine, Istanbul Aydin University, Istanbul 34295, Kucukcekmece, Istanbul, Türkiye.
This editorial article is intended to perform a discussion on the manuscript entitled "Simultaneous portal vein thrombosis and splenic vein thrombosis in a COVID-19 patient: A case report and review of literature" written by Abramowitz . The article focuses on the diagnostic processes in a 77-year-old-male patient with a simultaneous portal vein and splenic artery thrombosis accompanying coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The authors postulated that splanchnic thrombosis should be on the list of differential diagnoses in a patient presenting with abdominal pain in presence of a COVID-19 infection.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFRoot causes behind patient safety incidents in the emergency department and suggestions for improving patient safety - an analysis in a Finnish teaching hospital.
BMC Emerg Med
November 2024
Department of Clinical Medicine, Public Health, The Faculty of Medicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland.
Background: Adverse events occur frequently at emergency departments (ED) because of several risk factors related to varying conditions. It is still unclear, which factors lead to patient safety incident reports. The aim of this study was to explore the root causes behind ED-associated patient safety incidents reported by personnel, and based on the findings, to suggest learning objectives for improving patient safety.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCritical risk factors analysis of infection-associated hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis in children.
Ann Hematol
November 2024
Department of Pediatrics, The Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050030, Hebei, P.R. China.
To analyze the critical factors of infection-associated Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) in children, so as to provide theoretical basis for clinicians to evaluate the disease condition, formulate treatment plan and improve prognosis. This study is a retrospective analysis. 60 cases of children with infection-associated HLH were divided into critical and non-critical groups based on the presence of multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS), and the clinical characteristics and laboratory data of the two groups of children were analyzed.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAccounting for Red Cell Distribution Width Improves Risk Stratification by Commonly Used Mortality/Deterioration Risk Scores in Adult Patients Hospitalized Due to COVID-19.
Life (Basel)
October 2024
School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia.
Higher red blood cell distribution width (RDW) levels have gained attention in the prognostication of many chronic metabolic and malignant diseases, as well as coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). We aimed to evaluate whether accounting for RDW might contribute to risk stratification when added to commonly used risk scoring systems in adult COVID-19 patients. We retrospectively analyzed a cohort of 3212 non-critical COVID-19 patients hospitalized in a tertiary-level institution from March 2020 to June 2021.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWant AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!