Details of all calls, callers and patients were recorded. Within 72 hours, a follow-up call was initiated seeking replies to a series of standardised questions. There were 33 telephone calls per 100 emergency department attendances. The provision of telephone advice by emergency department staff is rated highly by the community and compliance with the advice is strong. Paediatric problems, arising as a result of spontaneous illness, predominate and there is a large bias towards after-hours use of the service.
Experienced staff provide better advice.
Little is known about who calls and why, how much professional time is required, what problems people call about and the quality of the advice given. In particular, caller compliance has seldom been assessed. This study was conducted to provide a detailed analysis of emergency department telephone advice. A prospective, observational study, it was undertaken at Swan District Hospital, which is situated 20 km northeast of the central business district of Perth. There are approximately 160 general practitioners in the area who provide some after-hours care.