Telephone Triage in an Ophthalmic A & E

Research in Nursing Series Formalised telephone triage is a fairly new concept in Accident and Emergency services although it has been an informal method of advising patients and health care professionals for many years. In the A&E service of Manchester Royal Eye Hospital, formalisation of this method of patient prioritisation led to a need for an evaluation of this strategy. Both clinicians and patients need to know that the decision making which is undertaken in using telephone triage is undertaken by expert nurses and that the decisions made are accurate and safe. This study explores the various conditions that present to the A&E department and examines the accuracy of the diagnosis made by the triage nurse. It also examines the decision making process adopted by the nurse when giving advice in a telephone triage situation. The book is essential reading for both A&E and ophthalmic nurses, particularly those involved in setting up a telephone triage service.