Telephone Triage Protocols For Adult Populations

The Most Comprehensive and User-Friendly Adult Telephone Triage Protocols Available - From a Pioneer in the Field "This is a well thought out and organized tool for those involved in telephone advice and triage. It has many unique features not normally found in triage protocols, including research related to medical error, decision support, and critical thinking. The references are extensive. It is a necessary addition to the library of anyone involved in telephone triage and this update is an essential replacement for the previous protocols book. 3 Stars."--Doody's Review Service Written by Sheila Wheeler, one of the world's leading experts in telephone triage, this functional reference provides the guidelines nurses need for the safe, effective, and fast disposition of 1,000+ health related problems by telephone. Organized by anatomical site and written in lay language, Telephone Triage eliminates the extra step of translating home treatment, first aid, or self-assessment instructions when performing telephone triage with the layperson. The format incorporates a critical-thinking process that mimics how nurses naturally solve problems in real-world situations. This “4 in 1” package contains everything you need to implement a telephone triage program: Comprehensive training, protocols, standards and a CD with case studies for analysis and critique, plus an optional telehealth continuing education website. Features: Users Guide - complete with insightful FAQs Protocols - wide-range of common diseases including Women's Health Documentation Form - ensures proper procedure, documentation, and risk management Standards - Comprehensive practice standards for practitioners and programs CD-ROM - contains 10 case studies for discussion and analysis Continuing Education -An accompanying website to earn CE credit online, at www.teletriage.com Representing the latest research and standards in the field, Telephone Triage is the ultimate resource for the triage nurse.

This great resource provides the expert help triagers need to handle a wide array of phone inquiries. The new 4th edition is completely revised and updated to include more than 100 protocols that provide step-by-step guidance for addressing 90% of the most common adult complaints.

This quick-reference manual presents over 200 triage protocols for evaluating patients' symptoms over the telephone. Each symptom entry lists questions, grouped by urgency level, to determine whether the caller should seek emergency care now, seek medical care the same day, call back for appointment, or follow home care instructions. Detailed home care instructions are then provided. This edition features fourteen new protocols: avian influenza ("bird flu"); congestive heart failure; electrical burns; hand/wrist problems; hip pain/injury; influenza; neurological symptoms; newborn problems; pertussis; severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS); sickle cell disease problems; substance abuse, use, or exposure; West Nile virus; and wound care: sutures or staples. New appendices include guidelines for scenario practice; difficult caller practice scenarios; mystery caller practice session; temperature conversion guide; weight conversion chart; acetaminophen dosage chart; ibuprofen dosage chart; infant feeding guide; abdominal pain causes and characteristics; chest pain causes and characteristics; and headache causes and characteristics.

As health care delivery systems evolve and managed care affects every venue of care delivery, telephone triage and advice programs are rapidly emerging as a necessary service to help control costs and health resource utilization. Available individually or as a set, theTelephone Triage Protocols for Pediatric and Adult Populations gives health care providers a three-volume set of age-adjusted, collaboratively developed, user-friendly protocols that address approximately 1,000 possible diagnoses by focusing on 50 key symptoms and problems. the protocols classify symptoms as emergent, urgent, acute, and non-acute; provide disposition and advice based on those classifications; and supply cross references and teaching and referral, where appropriate. Designed with low-income, high-risk, low-literacy clients in mind, these protocols will enable health care providers to avoid liability and to reap the benefits of appropriate health care utilization. This manual is available for a free 30-day trial. Simply select 'Bill Me' when asked for a form of payment.

Performing telephone triage requires the ability to make quick and effective decisions based on limited information. This rapid-access resource delivers more than 200 triage protocols for evaluating patients' symptoms over the telephone. Each symptom entry lists questions, grouped by urgency level, to determine whether the caller should seek emergency care immediately, seek medical care the same day, call back for appointment, or follow home care instructions. Detailed home care instructions are then provided. Simple, direct, and useful, this is the most comprehensive and user-friendly telephone triage book available.

Telephone Triage Protocols for School Age Populations (Age Six to 18 Years) is the first and only age-based, patient-centered, completely customized guidelines specific to school age, adolescent and young adult populations. Comprehensive The guidelines address over 1,500 medical conditions -- the most common presenting symptoms -- as well as rare, but predictable emergent symptoms. Each protocol includes screening questions, home treatment or first aid directives, and supplemental information. User Friendly Descriptions of conditions are detailed enough to assure confident decision-making, yet concise enough to eliminate excessive, time-consuming and confusing cross-referencing. This reduces decision fatigue - a known contributor to error. Symptom descriptions, home treatment and first aid instructions are written in 5th-8th grade lay language to facilitate patient-centered communications. Standards-Based This system, when used correctly, reduces common errors: inadequate data collection, jumping to conclusions, and selection of the wrong guideline. Authoritative, Expert Task Force The guideline set was collaboratively developed over a two-year period, with the collective expertise of twenty nurses, nurse practitioners and physicians. Promotes Risk Management Since 1995, these guidelines have been used in 300-500 sites nationally without a single report of errors, omissions or malpractice. Transparent A semi-algorithmic and pattern recognition hybrid design, so users can understand and appreciate the why, how and where of the system elements. A Generic Guideline supports nurses in cases where existing protocols may not apply, with general descriptions of emergent, urgent, acute and non-acute conditions. User's Guide An 80-page user's guide thoroughly describes the overall design, as well as different elements, search engine strategy and terminology. Decision-making strategy A synthesis of both algorithm and heuristics or pattern recognition, the design mimics the brain's natural problem solving strategy. Medical decision expert, Vimla Patel, PhD., in research, validated this real world approach to decision-making. User Friendly Dispositions Five clearly defined, consistent dispositions promote clear follow up instructions. Users are spared frustrating searches through long lists of disposition options. Easy on your budget - electronic software can cost your facility hundreds of thousands of dollars. Even growing your own paper protocols, is time consuming, expensive and may not produce high quality results.