A 10-year experience in pediatric after-hours telecommunications

Area of Science:

• Telemedicine and Health Informatics
• Pediatric Healthcare Management
• Healthcare Communication Systems

Background:

• Centralized telephone triage systems are increasingly used for after-hours pediatric care.
• This paper reviews a decade of experience with a pediatric telecommunications program at Harvard Pilgrim Health Care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the operational experience and impact of a pediatric telecommunications program.
• To highlight key features such as primary care physician linkage and integration with automated medical records.
• To discuss the program's application in resident education and its broader implications for healthcare delivery.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of 10-year operational data from a large health maintenance organization.
• Review of telephone call volume (averaging 3,000 calls/month) and patient interactions.
• Examination of program components including physician linkage, electronic health records, and resident training.

Main Results:

• The program has handled over 175,000 calls in 10 years.
• Demonstrated successful integration with primary care physicians and automated medical records.
• Facilitated resident teaching and provided valuable after-hours coverage.

Conclusions:

• Structured telecommunications programs are vital for pediatric after-hours care.
• These systems can improve quality of care, mitigate medicolegal risks, and potentially secure reimbursement.
• The described program serves as a model for effective pediatric telemedicine implementation.