Can an after-hours nurse line help avoid unnecessary emergency room visits?
Answer:
It may. Nurse triage can help families determine when symptoms may require emergency care and when another level of care may be appropriate. One peer-reviewed pediatric study found that an after-hours nurse line resolved 70 percent of calls without physician involvement. However, that research involved pediatric patients, not older adults with long-term care needs, so the same results should not be assumed for older populations.