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Outpatient chemotherapy: telephone triage for symptom management.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES
To describe the use of telephone triage in the management of chemotherapy-related patient problems.


DATA SOURCES
Published articles, nursing texts, personal experience.


DATA SYNTHESIS
With the impact of managed care and an increase in the number of patients being cared for at home, the need for a system of assessment and intervention that is not based on in-person visits is being recognized. Assessing patient symptoms over the phone and advising patients regarding appropriate care is being recognized as a common practice.


CONCLUSIONS
With the use of established protocols for assessment and treatment, nurses can successfully manage many patient needs over the phone.


IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE
Nurses play an active role in performing telephone triage and writing the appropriate protocols to facilitate safe and effective caregiving by phone.