Developing a triage telephone program for home health care agencies

In the current managed care environment, innovative strategies for patient care will be the hallmarks for effective utilization of services. Protocol-based telephone triage is an effective way to clinically intervene. It is currently used successfully in a variety of patient care settings. Home health care agencies need to be proactive and to incorporate a telephone triage system into their after-hours programs to meet patient needs with appropriate services. Three key elements-structural, process, and outcome standards-are discussed as critical to the development and implementation of such a program.