Telephone Triage

 

Great service was extremely helpful and friendly. I would (and have already) recommend you to others!

 
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Telephone Triage is rapid access (less than 48 hours) to a telephone advice service, operated remotely by specially-trained Chartered Physiotherapists. It is available to patients 52 weeks a year, including evenings.

Our Service

  • A Triage Team will screen all Musculoskeletal (MSK) referrals against evidence based criteria, dismissing any clinical red flags (i.e. whether they require urgent medical attention) and assessing the individual’s psychosocial response to their MSK injury.
  • Following referral, individual’s have the option to discuss their problem with a Physiotherapist at a pre-booked telephone appointment, within 48 hours.
  • An assessment is made using questions designed to establish a provisional diagnosis and screen for any non-MSK conditions. Advice is given to the patient, supplemented with bespoke information which is despatched the same day by post/email.
  • The Service would maintain regular contact with the individual, to ensure progress is being made, with a face-to-face referral always remaining an option.

Benefits

  • Patients would receive earlier intervention. By tackling MSK problems earlier on, the likelihood of them becoming long lasting is reduced. Accessing intervention at the earliest point will allow self management and treatment to begin efficiently and reduce the likelihood of progression from an acute to a chronic problem.
  • This earlier intervention improves health and well-being and results in a reduction in absence and associated related costs.
  • A reduction in the need for ‘face to face’ Physiotherapy appointments.

References

Salisbury Chris, Montgomery Alan A, Hollinghurst Sandra, Hopper Cherida, Bishop Annette, Franchini Angelo et al. Effectiveness of PhysioDirect telephone assessment and advice services for patients with musculoskeletal problems: pragmatic randomised controlled trial

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