Telephone triage: an Irish view

This paper examines the issue of telephone triage for an Irish Emergency Department and includes definitions of triage and telephone triage. At St. James Hospital, Dublin the first attempt at formal telephone triage failed. In hindsight this was attributed to inadequate research into the topic and lack of staff motivation. This paper forms part of a larger literature review undertaken by the author following the first failed attempt. An overview of the international literature addresses both the positive and negative sides of a telephone helpline. The body of literature reviewed suggests telephone triage can be successful but advises the use of formal protocols, training of staff and accurate documentation. The purpose of this paper is therefore to investigate the benefits and recommended practices of implementing telephone triage with a view to successfully changing policy and practice in a busy Emergency Department.