Sometimes, when you’re sick or have a non-urgent medical question, all you want or need is a nurse’s advice.
A partnership between Southeastern Regional Physicians Services and telehealth provider TriageLogic is making that advice available to residents in and around Lumberton, N.C. The healthcare provider, which operates a dozen specialty clinics and 13 primary care clinics under the Southeastern Regional Medical Center name, has contracted with TriageLogic to provide its “Nurse Triage On Call” service after hours.
In the nine months since the program was put into place, officials say it has curbed unnecessary – and far more costly – hospital visits by 30 percent. That’s a significant number to a healthcare system that handles more than 1 million calls a year.
“Since we instituted the program in April, the volume of calls continues to increase every month. We are seeing how this type of service can be a positive for the community with fewer visits to the ER,” says Mary Scott, a practitioner performance coordinator for Southeastern, in a press release. “TriageLogic has been excellent at helping us implement this system effectively. We are impressed with the versatility of TriageLogic and the level of patient satisfaction we are able to deliver.”
Mobile health services like those offered by TriageLogic are emerging as a valuable resource to physician practices looking to maximize their services and reduce unnecessary visits – either to the doctor’s office or the local emergency room.
Launched in 2005 and based in Winston-Salem, N.C., TriageLogic offers a line of triage protocol systems and services designed to provide additional coverage for healthcare providers ranging from small practices to triage call centers. The company consists of a software unit that develops nurse triage systems for both daytime and after-hours use and a services unit that offers round-the-clock call center nurse support.
“We are dedicated to maintaining one of the most sophisticated triage services in the country, so physicians can direct the care of their patients even when they are not answering the calls themselves,” says Charu Raheja, PhD, the company’s chairman and CEO, in the press release.
“It’s particularly reassuring that our products are not only resulting in more satisfied patients, but that they are supporting a robust practice like Southeastern Regional in efforts to conform to government regulations,” adds Ravi Raheja, MD, the company’s director of sales and technology.
