Call Center vs Nurse Triage: Choose the Right Option

Medical providers turn to call centers and nurse triage services to support their staff and optimize patient care and experiences. While both provide essential services, what they offer is far different. Virtual receptionists perform one while registered nurses carry out the other.

So, which one is right for your organization?

Here, we’ll explore nurse triage vs. call center solutions, how they benefit your practice, and some essential considerations when selecting one.

What Is a Nurse Triage Service?

The first step in defining these services is determining what is a triage call. In medical terms, a triage call consists of a telephone assessment used to determine a patient’s appropriate level of care. For instance, should a patient call into a medical practice after hours, a nurse would determine the proper next steps to optimize their care and well-being.

Triage is commonly performed in wars, hospital emergency rooms, and disaster zones to determine the severity of a person’s condition and their likelihood of recovery. It serves as a screening, helping them define their priority and level of care.

So, what is nurse triage?

Registered nurses usually perform nurse triage. They are often the first point of contact for a patient seeking medical attention. They are trained to evaluate a person’s condition, determine the severity, and ensure those in medical emergencies receive prompt attention.

What do triage nurses do?

At notifyMD®, our registered nurses use their expertise and Schmitt-Thompson protocols as guidelines to assess patients’ symptoms and direct them to the appropriate level of care. These protocols are used in telephone triage situations, providing expert decision support, resulting in proper healthcare advice.

Depending on the practice’s needs, registered nurses may answer patients’ calls during regular office hours or after the clinic has closed. Your patients are grateful to receive knowledgeable guidance in a time of need, and physicians and staff appreciate the support, reduced stress, and peace of mind that comes from knowing their patients are being cared for.

These nurses advise patients on the best next steps, including suggestions for at-home care, scheduling an appointment, connecting them with the on-call physician, and referring them to the emergency room.

What Is a Medical Call Center?

A medical call center supports your front-office staff during peak and after-hours periods. Trained in medical terminology and the policies of the practice they serve, they act as an extension of your team. They answer calls and standard questions, schedule appointments, take messages, and, if warranted, direct patients to the on-call physician.

This service enhances the patient experience, ensuring every call is answered by a live person instead of a recorded message. Unlike third-party answering services that simply take messages, trained virtual receptionists from medical answering services like notifyMD® offer compassionate communications, scheduling, and forwarding, reducing your staff’s morning workload, enabling them to take care of their many administrative tasks.

Key Differences Between Nurse Triage and Medical Call Centers

Nurse Triage Services

• Registered nurses trained in triage provide patient recommendations
• Determine a patient’s condition and the appropriate level of care
• Schedule appointments
• Refer to the emergency room
• Forward to the physician-on-call
• Recommend at-home care solutions

Medical Call Center Services

• Virtual receptionists answer phone calls
• Direct urgent calls to the on-call provider
• Dispatch calls to triage nurses for medical guidance
• Schedule appointments
• Patient outreach for appointment reminders and follow-ups
• Automated solutions for efficient, cost-effective communications
• Secure messaging for reminders, instructions, and enhanced care coordination

What Nurse Triage Services Bring to Your Clinic

So, what do triage nurses do that can benefit your clinic?

These registered nurses provide a critical link between patients and healthcare professionals. They ensure concerned patients are evaluated and directed to the appropriate level of care, serving as an extension of your team. They maintain proper documentation, recording the patient’s symptoms and concerns and their recommendations.

This level of expertise enhances patient care while reducing pressures on your staff. They help reduce interruptions outside regular office hours, reduce stress, and promote a better work-life balance.

Choosing Between Nurse Triage and Medical Call Center

Deciding between a nurse triage vs. call center can be difficult as they offer unique services that support a medical practice, including staff and patients.

If you find your staff constantly bombarded by phone calls and having to place patients on hold, a virtual receptionist can fill in the gaps and come on board when needed, whether during peak periods or after-hours.

If your practice would benefit from supporting concerned patients who call in with symptoms, a nurse triage service can resolve many of these calls independently. This service may be unwarranted if you already have on-call healthcare practitioners for after-hours patient support.

How Nurse Triage and Call Centers Complement Each Other

Nurse triage vs. call center is similar to comparing apples and oranges. Both offer different nutrients, textures, and flavors; neither is notably better. Both of them, however, complement each other.

At notifyMD®, our virtual receptionists are available 24/7/365. Our secure notifyMD® App allows clients to connect with them anytime and request their services. When a patient’s call requires an expert’s assessment, these receptionists can refer the call to our dedicated team of registered triage nurses.

Our virtual operators handle the more routine calls, while the nurse triage group takes calls requiring their medical background and training in care directives and protocols. This combined service takes the pressure off you and your staff while ensuring the best possible care for your patients.

As the first telephone answering service to be HITRUST Certified, you can be confident in our commitment to the highest standards in protecting and securing sensitive patient information, while providing the best experience for patients and staff.

To discover which solution is right for your practice’s current needs and future expansion, contact notifyMD® today.