Laurie Wheeler comments on phone triage, and I share some of her
reservations.  But I *still* miss the triage nurse phone number my HMO had
when I lived in Seattle 18 years ago.  And we *still* don't have anything
approaching systematic triage in our acute care services in my town.  It's
strictly first come, first serve.  Hangnails and ruptured appendices,
whoever came in first, gets seen first.
The purpose of our HMO triage nurse was to screen calls to PREVENT visits to
the doctor when not necessary.  Funding schemes would determine whether the
service was aimed at generating more visits, or reducing them to a minimum.
BTW, I never once in three years used the triage service for a BF problem.
Never had any!
Rachel Myr, IBCLC and BF counselor relying on empathy, not BTDT for most
problems she encounters at work

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