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Outpatient chemotherapy: telephone triage for symptom management
1University of California, Los Angeles, USA.
Purpose/Objectives:
To describe the use of telephone triage in the management of chemotherapy-related patient problems.
Data Sources:
Published articles, nursing texts, personal experience.
Data Synthesis:
With the impact of managed care and an increase in the number of patients being cared for at home, the need for a system of assessment and intervention that is not based on in-person visits is being recognized. Assessing patient symptoms over the phone and advising patients regarding appropriate care is being recognized as a common practice.
Conclusions:
With the use of established protocols for assessment and treatment, nurses can successfully manage many patient needs over the phone.
Implications For Nursing Practice:
Nurses play an active role in performing telephone triage and writing the appropriate protocols to facilitate safe and effective caregiving by phone.