SynthesisJournal of general internal medicine2020
Effectiveness of Acute Care Remote Triage Systems: a Systematic Review.
Synthesis in Journal of general internal medicine, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 32 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
32 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- The Role of Language in Remote Healthcare Triage: A Meta-Aggregative Review.Journal of advanced nursing · 2025Pooled it
- Impact of Asynchronous Electronic Communication-Based Visits on Clinical Outcomes and Health Care Delivery: Systematic Review.Journal of medical Internet research · 2021Pooled it
- Consistency of decision support software-integrated telephone triage and associated factors: a systematic review.BMC medical informatics and decision making · 2021Pooled it
- Digital Dental Triage and Access to Care: A Qualitative Study of Experiences in a Teaching Hospital.Dentistry journal · 2026Article
- The impact of telemedicine on the efficiency and accuracy of emergency department triage: a staff perspective.BMC emergency medicine · 2026Article
- Remote triage and virtual urgent care services: A qualitative assessment of factors that impact triage decisions and outcomes.Journal of telemedicine and telecare · 2026Article
- Developing and validating an artificial intelligence-based electronic triage model for predicting clinical outcomes among cardiac-suspected patients in the emergency department.European heart journal. Digital health · 2026Article
- Acute Care Use and Mortality by Tele-Emergency Care Use, Modality, and Clinician Type.JAMA network open · 2026Observational
- Reliability of contactless vital sign measurement algorithms for use in drone-based mass casualty triage.Scientific reports · 2026Article
- Validation of a criterion-based screening and triage pathway for adult ADHD: a prospective observational study of safety and operational efficiency.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2026Article
- Changes in emergency and primary care use after adding virtual physicians to HealthLink BC's 8-1-1 program.NPJ digital medicine · 2025Article
- Veteran Experiences and Satisfaction With Veterans Affairs Call Centers' Tele-Triage and Virtual Urgent Care Appointments: Qualitative Evaluation.Journal of medical Internet research · 2025Article
- Multidisciplinary clinician perspectives on avoidable emergency department use by patients during cancer treatment.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2025Article
- Perceived Risks, Mitigation Strategies, and Modifiability of Telehealth in Rural and Remote Emergency Departments: Qualitative Exploration Study.JMIR human factors · 2025Article
- Construction of an interactive humanistic nursing model in emergency rescue of epidemic outbreaks.Pakistan journal of medical sciences · 2025Article
- Observational
- Building a performance measurement framework for telephone triage services in Finland: a consensus-making study based on nominal group technique.Scandinavian journal of trauma, resuscitation and emergency medicine · 2024Article
- Safety in Teletriage by Nurses and Physicians in the United States and Israel: Narrative Review and Qualitative Study.JMIR human factors · 2024Review
- Identifying performance indicators to measure overall performance of telephone triage - a scoping review.Scandinavian journal of primary health care · 2024Article
- Nurses' Perception on the Hindrances of Triage System in Emergency Unit.Nursing research and practice · 2024Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
15 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundTechnology-based systems can facilitate remote decision-making to triage patients to the appropriate level of care. Despite technologic advances, the effects of implementation of these systems on patient and utilization outcomes are unclear. We evaluated the effects of remote triage systems on healthcare utilization, case resolution, and patient safety outcomes.
methodsEnglish-language searches of MEDLINE (via PubMed), EMBASE, and CINAHL were performed from inception until July 2018. Randomized and nonrandomized comparative studies of remote triage services that reported healthcare utilization, case resolution, and patient safety outcomes were included. Two reviewers assessed study and intervention characteristics independently for study quality, strength of evidence, and risk of bias.
resultsThe literature search identified 5026 articles, of which eight met eligibility criteria. Five randomized, two controlled before-and-after, and one interrupted time series study assessed 3 categories of remote triage services: mode of delivery, triage professional type, and system organizational level. No study evaluated any other delivery mode other than telephone and in-person. Meta-analyses were unable to be performed because of study design and outcome heterogeneity; therefore, we narratively synthesized data. Overall, most studies did not demonstrate a decrease in primary care (PC) or emergency department (ED) utilization, with some studies showing a significant increase. Evidence suggested local, practice-based triage systems have greater case resolution and refer fewer patients to PC or ED services than regional/national systems. No study identified statistically significant differences in safety outcomes.
conclusionOur review found limited evidence that remote triage reduces the burden of PC or ED utilization. However, remote triage by telephone can produce a high rate of call resolution and appears to be safe. Further study of other remote triage modalities is needed to realize the promise of remote triage services in optimizing healthcare outcomes. PROTOCOL REGISTRATION: This study was registered and followed a published protocol (PROSPERO: CRD42019112262).
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.