Healthcare organizations benefit greatly when their nurse triage and telehealth services use a software with Schmitt-Thompson protocols. These have been shown to decrease unnecessary provider spend and substantially improve patient health outcomes. But what really makes these protocols the best method for dispositions on patient symptoms?
Developed by Doctors
As a pediatrician, Barton Schmitt, MD contributes to office-hours and after-hours protocols focused on child symptoms and severity. He wrote the first book on pediatric telephone triage back in 1980, and currently serves as Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. He was also the previous medical director for the After-Hours Call Center at Children’s Hospital Colorado.
Specializing in internal and emergency medicine, David Thompson, MD contributes to those same protocols by addressing adult symptoms. He’s published several medical articles that focus on patient satisfaction and chief complaint coding, and currently serves part-time with the faculty at Northwestern Memorial Hospital’s Emergency Department.
Updated in Real-Time
Schmitt-Thompson protocols are updated regularly for accuracy and relevance. This is typically done by a board of medical professionals on a yearly basis, but doctors can submit periodic recommendations for changes as they use them.
Protocols may also be updated or added when an immediate need arises. For instance, some were developed at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, and are now on their 7th revision as of the time of this article. Once these changes go into effect, our nurse call center has access to them and utilizes them in conjunction with our triage software.
Daytime and Nighttime Protocols
Schmitt-Thompson protocols have two versions: one to employ during office hours and one for after when there is not an option to send the patient to see their doctor. Organizations that need the most updated protocols can access the daytime version free for 30 days through our website. We also have samples available of what’s included for each version, from adult pregnancies and abdominal pain to pediatric earaches, cough, and head injuries.
Easy Integration with Triage Software
Protocols are meant to be used in combination with a nurse’s own expertise. The software with the protocols can be integrated easily with electronic medical records or other health cloud systems such as Salesforce. This allows telehealth or triage nurses to fully document all patient interactions and sync that information directly to a provider’s in-house EHR. The end result is a digital paper trail and stronger continuity of care.
Start Your Free Trial
Our daytime protocols are available free for 30 days, or you can request to purchase our after-hours version. If you need a more robust telephone nurse triage department, consider either training your nurses on our software or outsourcing this work to our 24/7 medical call center of certified RNs.
About TriageLogic
TriageLogic is a URAC-accredited, physician-led provider of top-quality nurse telehealth technology, remote patient monitoring, and medical call center solutions. Founded in 2007, the TriageLogic Group now serves more than 9,000 physicians and covers over 25 million lives nationwide.
