Psychological Telephone Triage System for Memory Clinics
Author Information
Author(s): Defrancesco Michaela, Post Fabienne, Hofer Alex, Jehle Juliane
Primary Institution: Medical University of Innsbruck, Austria
Hypothesis
Can a psychological telephone triage system improve the management of patients seeking dementia assessments?
Conclusion
The psychological telephone triage system effectively reduced waiting times and on-site visits for dementia assessments.
Supporting Evidence
- 66.7% of patients after PTT had an indication for an on-site visit.
- 34% reduction in on-site visits was observed after PTT implementation.
- Patients triaged as acute had the shortest waiting times.
Takeaway
This study shows that a phone system can help doctors figure out who needs to see them for memory problems faster, which is good for everyone.
Methodology
A retrospective, observational study comparing waiting times and patient outcomes before and after implementing a psychological telephone triage system.
Potential Biases
Potential bias in self-reported data from patients and caregivers.
Limitations
The study is retrospective and may not account for all variables affecting patient outcomes.
Participant Demographics
Patients included 39% patients and 61% caregivers, with a mean age of 75.54 years before PTT and 73.20 years after.
Statistical Information
P-Value
<0.001
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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