Access-Focused Care: The 4-1-1 on Oncology Phone Triage Programs

For this episode of “The Vitals,” we spoke with Nikki Urban, a registered nurse and practice manager at Allegheny Health Network, about the implementation of a successful phone triage program at the oncology institution.

Urban discusses why the program came about, some of its successes, and how a phone triage program can bring value to an oncology center.

“The phone triage process is a patient-centered initiative that really has patient access in mind,” Urban explains. “The initiative has provided the opportunity for patients to call in and have their concerns addressed in a real-time fashion with an oncology-trained nurse.”

Urban added, “I know sometimes patients will call in [and say] ‘Oh, my goodness, I have a real person that I'm speaking to.’ Patients have been excited about it, and the oncology triage team is able to immediately address symptoms, assess patients, and decide if a patient needs a same-day visit or [if] they need to come into our infusion office for supportive care. They can schedule those appointments right at the point of the call.”