Health system use and outcomes of urgently triaged callers to a nurse-managed telephone service for provincial health information after initiation of supplemental virtual physician assessment: a descriptive study.

ABSTRACT:

Background

British Columbia's 8-1-1 telephone service connects callers with nurses for health care advice. As of Nov. 16, 2020, callers advised by a registered nurse to obtain in-person medical care can be subsequently referred to virtual physicians. We sought to determine health system use and outcomes of 8-1-1 callers urgently triaged by a nurse and subsequently assessed by a virtual physician.

Methods

We identified callers referred to a virtual physician between Nov. 16, 2020, and Apr. 30, 2021. After assessment, virtual physicians assigned callers to 1 of 5 triage dispositions (i.e., go to emergency department [ED] now, see primary care provider within 24 hours, schedule an appointment with a health care provider, try home treatment, other). We linked relevant administra

SUBMITTER: Ho K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10212572 | biostudies-literature | 2023 May-Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature