TY - GEN
T1 - Evaluation of telephone triage and advice services
T2 - 23rd International Conference of the European Federation for Medical Informatics, MIE 2011
AU - Carrasqueiro, Sara
AU - Oliveira, Mónica
AU - Encarnação, Pedro
PY - 2011
Y1 - 2011
N2 - Telephone triage and advice services (TTAS) have been increasingly used to assess patients' symptoms, provide information and refer patients to appropriate levels of care (attempting to pursue efficiency and quality of care gains while ensuring safety). However, previous reviews have pointed out for the need for adequately evaluating TTAS. AIMS: To review TTAS evaluation studies, compile methodologies and metrics used and compare results. Systematic search in PubMed database; data collection and categorization by TTAS features and context, type of evaluation, methods, metrics and results; critical assessment of studies; discussion on research needs. 395 articles screened, 55 of them included in the analysis. In conclusion, several aspects of TTAS impact on healthcare systems remain unclear either due to a lack of research (e.g. on long term clinical outcomes, clinical pathways, safety, enhanced access) or because of huge disparities in existing studies on the accuracy of advice, patient compliance, system use, satisfaction and economic evaluation. Further research on TTAS impact is required, comprising multiple perspectives and broad range of metrics.
AB - Telephone triage and advice services (TTAS) have been increasingly used to assess patients' symptoms, provide information and refer patients to appropriate levels of care (attempting to pursue efficiency and quality of care gains while ensuring safety). However, previous reviews have pointed out for the need for adequately evaluating TTAS. AIMS: To review TTAS evaluation studies, compile methodologies and metrics used and compare results. Systematic search in PubMed database; data collection and categorization by TTAS features and context, type of evaluation, methods, metrics and results; critical assessment of studies; discussion on research needs. 395 articles screened, 55 of them included in the analysis. In conclusion, several aspects of TTAS impact on healthcare systems remain unclear either due to a lack of research (e.g. on long term clinical outcomes, clinical pathways, safety, enhanced access) or because of huge disparities in existing studies on the accuracy of advice, patient compliance, system use, satisfaction and economic evaluation. Further research on TTAS impact is required, comprising multiple perspectives and broad range of metrics.
KW - E-health
KW - Economic evaluation
KW - Health services research
KW - Health technology assessment
KW - Systematic review
KW - Teletriage
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/83055187610
U2 - 10.3233/978-1-60750-806-9-407
DO - 10.3233/978-1-60750-806-9-407
M3 - Conference contribution
C2 - 21893782
SN - 9781607508052
T3 - Studies in Health Technology and Informatics
SP - 407
EP - 411
BT - User Centred Networked Health Care - Proceedings of MIE 2011
PB - IOS Press
Y2 - 28 August 2011 through 31 August 2011
ER -