Call Us First: Complex Care Triage

Seeking the right level of care at the right time can be complicated for older adult patients with multiple chronic conditions. Outpatient health care has evolved, utilizing numerous modes to monitor and deliver care. Call Us First (CUF) is a care management team of telephonic triage nurses created to ensure affordability, equity, and quality access for older adults in our evolving healthcare system.
Background: CUF was formed in 2020, and one year after its inception had grown from serving 13 to 20 primary and urgent care clinics in Washington state.
Purpose: The purpose of this DNP project is to evaluate the Call Us First telephonic triage quality improvement initiative that was started in 2020 at Optum Care Washington.
Methods: The program performance office evaluation from the Center for Disease Control was utilized for step-by-step approach to evaluate the CUF program. The population using the program was characterized by demographic data. The recommendations by CUF were explored. Hospital utilization metrics were reviewed.
Results: Between September 2023 to November 2023, there were n=1738 callers. There was a statistically significant (p=.01) difference, whereby most patients (87.4%) contacting CUF were seen within the recommended time of care. Review of the 30-day period after triage call showed overall 95.7% of cases did not result in hospital utilization.
Conclusion: CUF has potential to be scaled to help improve care delivery for primary care practices by guiding patients for better access to the right level of care at the right time.