The effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of telephone triage of patients requesting same day consultations in general practice: Study protocol for a cluster randomised controlled trial comparing nurse-led and GP-led management systems (ESTEEM)

John L. Campbell, Nicky Britten, Colin Green, Tim A. Holt, Valerie Lattimer, Suzanne H. Richards, David A. Richards, Chris Salisbury, Rod S. Taylor, Emily Fletcher

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13 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Recent years have seen an increase in primary care workload, especially following the introduction of a new General Medical Services contract in 2004. Telephone triage and telephone consultation with patients seeking health care represent initiatives aimed at improving access to care. Some evidence suggests that such approaches may be feasible but conclusions regarding GP workload, cost, and patients' experience of care, safety, and health status are equivocal. The ESTEEM trial aims to assess the clinical- and cost-effectiveness of nurse-led computer-supported telephone triage and GP-led telephone triage, compared to usual care, for patients requesting same-day consultations in general practice.
Original languageEnglish
Article number4
JournalTrials
Volume14
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 4 Jan 2013

Keywords

  • Adolescent
  • Child
  • Clinical Protocols
  • Cost-Benefit Analysis
  • General Practice
  • General Practitioners
  • Humans
  • Nurses
  • Outcome Assessment (Health Care)
  • Referral and Consultation
  • Sample Size
  • Telephone
  • Triage

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