TeleTriage at a high-volume specialty cancer center: Aligning patient volume and need with available resource.

Abstract

2085 Background: The Memorial Sloan Kettering (MSK) Urgent Care Center (UCC) functions as the emergency room for MSK. With 23,000+ visits annually, increasing volume and acuity means more days over capacity. Patients experience increased wait times to see clinicians, complete evaluation, and transfer to an inpatient bed. The UCC TeleTriage Program is a remote triage program which aims to align patient volume and need with available resources, improve patient experience, and streamline flow through the UCC. By managing resources more efficiently and expediting initial evaluation, the program promotes timely patient access to care, while maintaining MSK's standard of care. Methods: UCC TeleTriage began July 2018 with the Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology service. The Service Nurse refers patients to TeleTriage on weekdays, from 9a.m.- 4:30p.m. The TeleTriage clinician contacts each patient within 30 minutes of referral, takes the history, and determines the initial plan. Patients are directed to a local ER, clinic, or UCC based on level of acuity, real-time GPS, and specific need. For stable patients coming to UCC, TeleTriage focuses on initiating testing prior to registration in UCC. Results: TeleTriage patients have (virtual) contact with a UCC clinician within 30 minutes of referral, whereas non-TeleTriage patients wait 110 minutes or more. TeleTriage patients are discharged from UCC up to 42 minutes more rapidly. TeleTriage patients who receive imaging prior to registration in UCC receive a final disposition up to 93 minutes sooner. About 4% of TeleTriage patients are managed at home. In a small number of TeleTriage patients with severe complications of cancer-treatment, significant morbidity was avoided due to early intervention and coordination of care. Conclusions: TeleTriage patients have contact with a UCC clinician measurably faster than non-TeleTriage patients. Their evaluation is also started earlier. By managing less acute patients at remote sites or at home, TeleTriage can help patients avoid unnecessary travel, (time) expenditure, and hospital contact. TeleTriage patients who come to UCC, spend less time in UCC than non-TeleTriage patients and they discharge faster. By utilizing cancer care expertise, TeleTriage can significantly impact patient outcomes and utilize resources more effectively.