In this lesson, we detail an evening shift case study for a triage caller in regards to her 6-week-old baby. She explains that her child has been crying more than usual since 6 that morning, even becoming inconsolable for an hour at a time. It’s now 5:30 PM, and the mother is worried about waiting through the night to see whether or not her baby’s symptoms will worsen.

Here’s how to apply the 10 Critical Steps you learned in Course 2 to reach a disposition on the patient and direct them to the appropriate level of care:

Step 1 – You introduce yourself, using your name, title, and practice/physician you represent.

Step 2 – You collect demographic information for the patient.

Step 3 – You ask about past medical history for the patient, which all looks normal.

Step 4 – You ask open-ended questions and learn from the mother that her baby’s crying has gotten louder, more frequent, and for longer episodes throughout the day; that something white and sharp is sticking out of her gum on the right side; and that she is irritable unless a bottle is in her mouth.

Step 5 – You document all information the mother provides, including normal behavior and notes of concern.

Step 6 – You select the appropriate protocol, starting with the symptom with the probability of highest acuity — in this case, the baby’s “crying.”

Step 7 – To get the child to the appropriate level of care, you ask about the ABCs: airway, breathing, and circulation. You also write down two (2) worst-case diagnoses (ex. injury, meningitis) and two (2) common causes (sleepy, change in mother’s diet). You determine that this isn’t an emergency based on the mother’s information.

Step 8 – You advise the caller that it would be beneficial to seek medical attention for her child in the next four (4) hours, and inform her that you’ll notify the on-call physician.

Steps 9 and 10 – You encourage the patient’s mother to call back if her baby’s symptoms worsen before she hears from the physician, confirm that she understands the plan you’ve outlined, and have her acknowledge that she’s willing and able to follow it.

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TriageLogic is a URAC-accredited, physician-led provider of top-quality nurse telehealth technology, remote patient monitoring, and medical call center solutions, all for the purpose of encouraging positive patient behavior and improving access to healthcare. Founded in 2007, the TriageLogic Group now serves more than 9,000 physicians and covers over 25 million lives nationwide. They continue to partner with private practices, hospitals, and corporations throughout the U.S.