To ask a question or learn about what's new, use our Queries and Feedback Form . Due to the high volume of email, I am unable to respond to questions at this time. Telephone triage is the safe, effective appropriate disposition of health-related problems by nurses by phone. Telephone triage may include symptom assessment, counseling, home treatment advice, referral, information brokering, disease management and crisis intervention. Telephone triage has been compared to the work of air traffic controllers, anesthesiologists and emergency medical dispatchers in that it involves making sound decisions under conditions of uncertainty and urgency.
Excellent protocols are essential but no protocol can cover every situation.
Therefore, the key to a high quality, effective telephone triage program is adequate numbers of well trained, experienced nurses. The best candidates should have at least 5-10 years of nursing experience, excellent interpersonal and communication skills, and the ability to make good decisions under conditions of uncertainty and urgency. These nurses should have formal training in telephone triage skills and proper use of the protocols. All training should be designed to facilitate the transfer of previous knowledge and skills from known areas of expertise to new areas. Further, training can reduce some of the uncertainty and enhance decisionmaking.