Average Times for Patient Call-Backs From Nurse Triage: Emergent, Urgent, and Non-Urgent
Many telehealth nurse triage departments rely on patient call-backs to help address those with the most pressing medical needs. But how are these calls prioritized, and what call-back times are appropriate when it comes to emergent, urgent, and non-urgent symptoms? Below, you’ll find a full breakdown of the policies we follow in our own nurse triage call center. But first, let’s review why call-backs are important. Reasons for Patient Call-Backs Healthcare providers make use of patient call-backs for a couple of reasons. First, call volumes
How Do You Train Triage Nurses?
Training triage nurses is different than training nurses for in-person patient interaction for a couple of reasons: 1) triage nurses cannot see or touch their patient callers, which means 2) they need to ask appropriate questions to clarify each patient’s concerns and evaluate all relevant symptoms. To do this effectively, nurses must be educated on how to use standardized triage protocols, document patient calls thoroughly, be mindful of their tone of voice, stay focused, and guide callers when they need emergency assistance. Here’s how our
How a Telehealth Triage Nurse Determines if a Child’s Cough Is a Concern
A child’s cough can be a point of concern, especially to new parents. This was the case even before the COVID-19 pandemic, when this symptom accounted for the second highest number of triage calls. Now, it’s even more important that telehealth triage nurses are available to address this concern and confirm whether it’s severe enough for parents to take their children to the ER. Here’s how nurses can make that determination while also reassuring parent callers. Follow the 10 Critical Steps We teach how triage
Are You Experiencing a Nursing Shortage? Outsourced Telehealth Triage Can Help.
You’ve probably heard about the prevailing nursing shortage that’s grown since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Chances are, your organization has experienced its effects to some degree. But early retirement and employee burnout aren’t the only reasons for the lack of available nurses. It’s also due to surprising delays in nurse licensing. According to NPR, this isn’t an isolated incident, especially in states that currently report a higher percentage of available nurses. Here’s why, and how outsourced telehealth triage can offer temporary relief. Cause
Secure Texting Without an App Expedites Patient Care in Nurse Triage
For those practices looking for ways to improve their nurse-doctor communications, having a secure texting feature can be an invaluable — and often lifesaving — resource. However, the constant download of new apps can make it difficult to manage that communication with multiple doctors. TriageLogic has developed a process for a nurse to securely chat with a doctor without the need to download an app or additional software, saving time and ensuring all doctors can view their messages. According to Becker’s Hospital Review, last year’s
Who Can Perform Telephone Triage
Telephone triage is one of the most effective ways to get patients to the right kind of care in the appropriate amount of time. But who has the ability to perform this service, and what requirements do they need in order to be effective? Consider the following factors before implementing your own solution. Registered Nurses All telephone triage should be performed by registered nurses. While it’s true that triage support may start with operators who ask patients an initial set of questions, it’s ultimately RNs
Decrease Patient Liability Using Nurse Triage Software
Patient phone calls, and questions about whether or not their symptoms require an office or emergency visit, are part of every busy medical practice. However, how do you train your nurses to ensure that they give the appropriate care advice every time, while documenting caller information, symptoms, and dispositions? If your team wants to decrease patient liability on these calls, implement software with medical protocols that document all of this information. Specifically, Schmitt-Thompson protocols ensure each patient caller is directed to the appropriate level of
Adding Nurse Telehealth Protocols to your CRM
Customer relationship management (CRM) tools are often used by marketing and sales teams to grow new business. Healthcare organizations can benefit from them too, and have been using them increasingly for patient engagement. These systems can be used to send targeted outreach to educate and empower your patients on how to manage their own health, and to guide them along personalized plans for care. Salesforce is one such system and it focuses on the healthcare space. These CRM systems do not usually have clinical decision
Case Study: Hospital System Partners with TriageLogic for Customized Triage Software and Call Center Support
Since the beginning of the pandemic and the push for social distancing, telehealth triage and outsourced nurse call centers have become invaluable components for evaluating callers’ symptoms and guiding them to the appropriate levels of care. It is important that your triage nurses have software with standardized, guided protocols to ensure patient safety and allow for continuity of care. Having software that can customize to the needs of different practices can also help ensure that their patients and doctors feel comfortable with outsourced nurses. With
Self-Care Tips for Physicians, Telehealth Triage Nurses, and Office Managers
Due to the long hours they work and the number of patients they see, it can be easy for physicians, nurses, and office managers to neglect their own wellness. That’s even before tacking on the increased volume in COVID-related calls that many health systems are experiencing, and the mental health concerns often seen during the winter months. All of these factors reinforce how necessary it is for workers to have a means of alleviating the physical and mental stresses they experience on any given day.
The Best Analytics to Benefit Your Nurse Telehealth Triage
The primary purpose for all of your telehealth triage nurses is to get their patient callers to the appropriate levels of care. To do so effectively, your team needs to understand as much as possible about your patients: what their typical needs are, what times they’re more likely to call, and how to schedule your nurses to meet that volume. That’s why TriageLogic offers integrated analytics with our MyTriageChecklist software. Here’s how this system can benefit your practice. Most Used Protocols and Dispositions Telehealth nurses
How Telehealth Triage Nurses Can Address Mental Health Calls During Winter
Much like the holidays that precede them, the winter months usually see an uptick in reported mental illness. These include seasonal affective disorder (SAD), depression, and suicide, and are reflected in the types of patient calls received through nurse triage. Because these mental health cases demonstrate similar symptoms, it’s important that your telehealth triage nurses have the tools to properly address each. SAD Although cases of seasonal effective disorder are known to happen in warmer months, most tend to manifest and peak during winter. Symptoms
