Due to budget restrictions, many healthcare organizations, physicians’ practices, and medical call centers are finding it difficult to train new triage nurses and oversee the work of seasoned ones. This is particularly problematic when it comes to evaluating their phone calls with patients: on average, only three to five calls per nurse per month can be screened for accuracy.
This is why TriageLogic is proud to announce its new Triage Assist module to solve these training and quality assurance challenges. It does so through a combination of automation and a three-step process.
- Use training simulated by artificial intelligence (AI) to expedite the learning curve for new nurses.
- Enable new and experienced nurses to document and share accurate patient histories (a service powered by TriageLogic’s History Assist module).
- Review up to 70% of calls and generate a report for each nurse (a service powered by TriageLogic’s Quality Assurance Assist module).
Triage Assist: A Closer Look
Triage Assist uses the power of AI to simulate real-life scenarios and enhance the skills of triage nurses. By providing a safe and controlled environment with simulated patients, nurses can make mistakes and learn without jeopardizing real care. The module focuses on improving nurse confidence and competence, reflecting studies that show how this can lead to better patient outcomes.
Through its scenarios, nurses improve their muscle memory for documenting calls with triage software, utilizing the correct nurse triage protocols, honing their listening skills, and empathizing with patients. Training scenarios are diverse and customizable, progressing from simple to complex, all so that nurses are adequately prepared for the variety of calls they will inevitably encounter.
Training Assist relieves managers from having to lead live instruction with new or seasoned triage nurses. Instead, those managers can review individual results for each nurse documented by the module so that they tailor their coaching and guidance appropriately. The tool’s self-teaching feature also generates transcripts for nurses and managers to review.
Then, once nurses start to take live calls, they will have access to two additional automated services that are critical to evaluating patient symptoms. History Assist prompts a nurse to ask a patient caller a series of pertinent questions based on that patient’s reported symptoms, then uses their answers to create a coherent narrative that a physician will easily understand. At the same time, Quality Assurance (QA) Assist will review the triage protocols that the nurse selects to verify if they align with the patient’s symptoms.
By utilizing Triage Assist, not only will new nurses be onboarded much faster and with fewer resources, but doctors will also have a clearer understanding of each patient’s symptoms, and every nurse will have a quality report to reflect their performance.
As an added bonus, this solution has the capability to integrate seamlessly with a practice’s in-house software, including EPIC’s triage module.
TriageLogic Asserts Automation Is No Substitute for Skilled Nurses
TriageLogic recently noted how the first question they usually receive in response to their automated solutions is: do AI-based modules remove the need for nurse judgment?
Their response: absolutely not.
“These modules are meant to act as assistants to nurses, helping with administration and documentation,” said Dr. Charu Rehaja, TriageLogic’s CEO. “Meanwhile, nurses are still the primary focus when it comes to decision-making, empathy with patients, and using their own judgment on what care those patients should seek.”
Healthcare organizations that are interested in exploring the benefits of Triage Assist are encouraged to contact TriageLogic’s sales team to discuss a customized program. Those that do should expect 1) a review of their current triage process; 2) a demonstration of how these modules will work with their existing system; 3) access to a free trial; and 4) a one-month review to discuss how their nurse triage has improved.
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 22,000 physicians and covers over 42 million lives nationwide.
