Safety and accuracy of digitally supported primary and secondary urgent care telephone triage in England: an observational study using routine data.

ABSTRACT:

Background

England's urgent care telephone triage system comprises non-clinician-led primary triage (NHS111) assessment followed, for approximately 50% patients, by clinician-led secondary triage. Digital decision support is utilised by both. We explore the system's safety and accuracy relative to patients' use of emergency departments (EDs) and in-patient care in the subsequent 24 h.

Methods

Descriptive analyses were used to investigate outcomes of 98,946 calls that underwent primary and secondary triage. We investigated sensitivity (safety) and specificity (efficiency/accuracy) in relation to subsequent ED attendance and in-patient hospital admission. Mixed effects regression models were used to explore potential under-estimation of clinical risk (under-triage).

Results

SUBMITTER: Sexton V 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11792721 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature