Phone Triage for the Heart Failure Patient

Those of us who provide healthcare to heart failure patients recognize the increasing numbers of patients affected by the disease and the complexity of their clinical issues. Traditional care delivery systems are often inadequate to meet their needs. Hospitalization rates are high and patient symptoms are substantive. As healthcare systems evolve to better meet these needs, multidisciplinary teams are expanding to address these issues. One important system that should be instituted is phone triage to address urgent patient concerns. This element of care is traditionally provided by nurse practitioners or nurses. This article describes common reasons why heart failure patients call their providers, as well as discusses a systematic approach to managing these common patient concerns.