MAY 1997 PRESS RELEASE
Continued Growth Is Expected for Computerized Telephone Triage
Medford, Oregon (May 7, 1997): U.S. health care providers are increasingly dependent upon computerized telephone triage systems to help direct patients to appropriate levels of care. As a form of demand management, these services can also reduce unnecessary reliance upon emergency and urgent care departments. While telephone triage has been used for decades, computerized systems allow registered nurses to answer members’ calls using sophisticated software to more consistently determine medical care options and provide guidance in the decision-making process.
Insurance companies and managed care organizations are typical clients for computerized telephone triage systems. In-house nursing staff and a purchased software package can be used, or services can be contracted from companies such as Access Health (Rancho Cordova, California), CareWise Inc. (Seattle, Washington), Clinidata (Montreal, Quebec, Canada), and National Health Enhancement Systems (Phoenix, Arizona). When a system is bought, software is the primary consideration, with the quality of the product depending upon algorithms that support decision-making functions. The real expense in offering telephone triage services, however, involves staffing. Registered nurses considered to be well-qualified for this type of work typically have a minimum of five years of hospital experience, preferably in critical or emergency care. Telephone triage also commands higher hourly wages for nurses who provide after-hours support.
Telephone Triage -- Products, Services, and Successful U.S. Systems is a report from Feedback Research Services that covers these issues as well as market forecasts and trends from 1996 through 2002. The report is available for shipment the week of May 12th and sells for $450, with 100 pages of text. Double-digit annual growth rates for use of demand management and telephone triage systems suggest significant revenue potential for the companies that currently provide contracted services and software. Innovative participants are expanding beyond nurse advice lines and health information libraries to include compliance monitoring, patient education, and wellness promotion programs. Based on their experiences, nurses say that unnecessary use of emergency departments is reduced, but not at the expense of individuals who really require immediate attention. For more definitive answers on cost-effectiveness, provider organizations are developing improved tracking mechanisms. In the meantime, vendors claim that the return on investment is usually in the $3:$1 range (or higher).
Additional publications from Feedback Research Services include the U.S. Home Care Monitoring and Telemedicine Markets report, New Developments in Telemedicine, The U.S. Telemedicine Market, and Prescription and Over-the-Counter Dermatology Markets. For more information, call 541.899.8088 or send e-mail to: info@feed-back.com.
