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Utilization of a Telephone Triage System in a Pediatric Primary Care Office
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Primary care practices are facing challenges in meeting the growing demand for patient care due to population growth and workforce shortages. Patients expect quick access to care and prompt responses to their inquiries, which puts strain on physicians and their teams. To address these issues, strategies such as increased use of nurses, email and telephone consultations, and carefully planned scheduling are suggested. Adopting a "telephone first" approach with screening/triaging personnel can improve patient safety, expand the role of nurses, and reduce physician workload. Technology and telemedicine offer opportunities for efficient and quality care delivery, while sharing workload among clinical staff can help manage the demands on primary care practitioners. The current project’s goal was to implement a computer-based telephone screening and triage system in a pediatric primary care practice and to assess its impact on work productivity and staff satisfaction. The project compared the intervention of implementing the screening and triage system to the current lack of a standardized system where the physician handles patient phone calls. The outcomes of interest included work productivity data (e.g. including the number of appointments, calls for medical advice, calls returned by the physician, and referrals to urgent care or the emergency department) and staff satisfaction levels. The population for this project consisted of five staff members at a pediatric primary care facility in Virginia. Qualitative data were also gathered through anonymous surveys. The data were analyzed using descriptive and thematic analysis methods. The quantitative findings of the project showed a decrease in the number of appointments made, calls needing medical advice, calls returned by the physician, and referrals to urgent care or the emergency department during the implementation of the screening/triage tools. However, only the number of calls needing medical advice and calls returned by the physician had statistically significant results. The qualitative findings indicated that staff members generally had positive opinions of the tools, finding them helpful in saving time and improving workflow. However, some participants expressed concerns about the tools not fully addressing the needs of the office and resulting in calls still needing to be returned by the physician., Nursing, primary care, staff satisfaction, telephone triage, workload, Malek School of Nursing Professions, Degree Awarded: D.N.P. Malek School of Nursing Professions. Marymount University
