• J M O'Connell, J L Stanley, and C L Malakar.
• Health Information, Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield, 700 Broadway, Denver, CO 80273, USA. joan.o'connell@anthem.com
• Manag Care. 2001 Jul 1;10(7):55-6, 59-60, 65.

PurposeDescribe patient satisfaction and patient-reported outcomes after voluntary use of a telephone-based nurse triage service.MethodsA random sample of symptomatic callers who contacted the triage service in 1999 was identified. A computer-assisted telephone survey was conducted, resulting in a response rate of 58.9 percent and a sample size of 35,374.SummaryOverall satisfaction with the service was 90.4 percent and did not vary greatly when stratified by demographic and health status characteristics. Of all callers who reported following the triage recommendation to use self-care instructions while monitoring the condition for change (n = 12,037), 11.5 percent scheduled an office visit and 1.5 percent used hospital emergency-room (ER) services for further care.ConclusionsOverall satisfaction with telephone-based nurse triage services was high and did not vary substantially by caller characteristics.

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