In this issue of Care News, we cover the three questions medical practices are faced with now that COVID restrictions have loosened; Dr. Ravi Raheja talks about the importance of cybersecurity for protecting your telephone nurse triage and patient data, and addresses the growing cases of COVID-19 in younger age groups; and we highlight the importance of new Schmitt-Thompson protocols that allow triage nurses to schedule patient telehealth visits.
CEO Summer 2021 Update - Dr. Charu Raheja
Letter from the CEO – How Hospitals and Practices Should Prepare for Fall 2021
Charu Raheja, Ph.D., TriageLogic CEO
The past year and a half has redefined the healthcare industry, as hospital systems and practices were forced to adapt to a global pandemic while still offering chronic or emergency care. Now that we’re in a post-vaccine rollout with loosened COVID restrictions, medical practices must address new questions as they return to in-office evaluations, deal with changing patient behavior, and identify the best technologies to manage care during this transition.
Letter from the Medical Director - Dr. Ravi Raheja
Cybersecurity: How to Safeguard Your Medical Call Center
Healthcare organizations are recognizing the need for heightened cyber defense in the wake of increased ransomware and other malware attacks this year. This is particularly relevant as more patient care shifts to remote-based triage and appointment setting. If you’re looking for ways that your medical call center can improve its telephone nurse triage and secure its patient health data, here are our recommendations.
News and Updates
Schmitt-Thompson Update: Telephone Triage Nurses Can Now Schedule Your Telehealth
Telemedicine has been largely embraced by patients and families as a convenient means of care that doesn’t require an in-person visit, while more providers — including primary care and specialists — have continued to adopt it. Because of this increased demand, the triage nurse protocols written by Dr. Schmitt and Dr. Thompson have been updated to include the option for triage nurses to schedule telehealth visits. Read more about the benefits of this update.
Triage Nurse Case Study: Protocol and Disposition for a Crying Newborn
As most people know, a nurse triage line is an important resource to help parents navigate early childhood. Still, it is sometimes difficult for parents to understand when calling one is necessary. In this article, we illustrate how a triage nurse should handle these types of cases to ensure children get the best path to care.
Emergency Symptoms Most Commonly Missed by Adults – A Review of Triage Nurse Calls
Triage nurses use Schmitt-Thompson protocols to determine the severity of a patient’s symptoms — including those that patients don’t think are serious, such as headache or chest pains. This allows these nurses to catch early warning signs of more critical conditions and direct patients to the ER when necessary.
TriageLogic in the News
Dr. Ravi Raheja Discusses COVID Case Uptick in Teens
TriageLogic’s Dr. Ravi Raheja recently spoke with Jacksonville’s News Channel 4 about the recent uptick in teen sickness due to COVID-19, addressed parent concerns, and offered precautions that families can take to protect themselves. Click here to read more.
Press Release: TriageLogic Announces Ebook on Telehealth Trends During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Telehealth nursing has taken on a critical role since the pandemic by helping patients determine the circumstances under which they should seek emergency treatment, as well as slowing the spread of infection. It’s also enabled us to learn more about how patients’ needs have changed. From January to October of 2020, TriageLogic reviewed patient demographics, medical conditions, and outcomes reported through our nurse triage call center. The results are now available in our free ebook, “2020 Telehealth Trends During COVID-19.”
Dr. Charu Raheja Highlighted as Women Business Leader’s Standout Member
Last December, Dr. Charu Raheja was highlighted as a standout member of the nonprofit organization, Women Business Leaders, “the premier network of female executives across the health care industry.” Speaking with the WBL, she outlined her experience in healthcare, her advocacy for employee wellbeing, and her predictions on what’s instore for telehealth in the post-COVID years. Click here to read more.
