Algorithm-Directed Triage of Pediatric Patients
- 18 April 1980
- journal article
- research article
- Published by American Medical Association (AMA)
- Vol. 243 (15) , 1528-1531
- https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.1980.03300410016015
Abstract
An Army corpsman used physician-written triage algorithms to rate the urgency of the chief complaints of 2,000 pediatric outpatients. His ratings agreed with subsequent ratings by physicians in 84% of cases. The corpsman assigned a higher care urgency classification in 15% of cases and a lower classification in only 1.2% of cases. No danger to patients resulted from the algorithm-directed screening. Use of a "nonprofessional" as a triage agent spares the pediatrician, pediatric nurse practitioner, and nurse for providing health care. With increasing use of acute care facilities by patients without appointments, physician-written algorithms allow triage agents who lack formal medical training to determine safely the need for care of patients. (JAMA243:1528-1531, 1980)Keywords
This publication has 3 references indexed in Scilit:
- The effectiveness of various health personnel as triage agentsJournal of Community Health, 1977
- Algorithm-directed triage in an emergency departmentJournal of the American College of Emergency Physicians, 1976
- A Comparison Between the Pediatric Nurse Practitioner (PNP) and the Pediatric Resident in an Out-Patient Department: A Pilot StudyClinical Pediatrics, 1972