Digital Versus Telephone Symptom Assessment and Triage in Primary Care

NCT ID: NCT06092866

Last Updated: 2024-02-29

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

RECRUITING

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

120 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2023-10-24

Study Completion Date

2024-12-31

Brief Summary

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A 'digital-first' approach is currently under implementation in several Swedish regions.

The principles behind implementing an online service as an access way to primary care are based on an expectation that it can make access easier, direct people to appropriate levels of care, and increase both availability of heath care and cost efficiency. However, a recent Swedish report concluded that digital triage in primary care has not been investigated in a clinical real-world setting, including real patients, meaning that the benefits and risks for patients as well as on a system level remain unclear.

The aim of this trial is to study the feasibility of a larger trial that will compare digital triage and traditional telephone triage on adherence to triaged health care level, in a randomized controlled study (feasibility study, RCT). The study will recruit a total of 120 patients, of which half will be randomized to telephone triage and half to digital triage.

Detailed Description

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Ten regions in Sweden are currently collaborating in the implementation of a new digital platform for digital symptom assessment and triage.

The patient's path is as following:

1. Triage to self-care. The patient will start his/her health care contact at the website www.1177.se with mobile bank identification. An algorithm-based computerized symptom checker performs the initial assessment, based on patient's self-reported complains. This initial triage can result in an auto-triage with self-care advice for non-complicated health issues.
2. Triage to digital assessment by chat with a nurse. Patients with more complex needs will be directed to the primary health care center (PHCC) where the patient is listed. There is also a central back-up unit that manages patients during out of office hours. The triage nurse can supplement the patient history with additional questions and finally determine the level of care.
3. Patients in need of further assessment are booked to a physical visit to a doctor or other health care staff, or referral to an emergency room.

Study design

Design: Feasibility study, randomized controlled study Patients: Patients referred by the online symptom checker to digital triage with a nurse and patients receiving traditional telephone triage. This study is planned to be carried out at one or more health centers where both traditional telephone triage and digital triage are used. The study will be conducted initially as a feasibility study with 30 participants in each arm and the inclusion period will continue until this number is met. A larger RCT is planned in the future, based on the feasibility study. The consent to participate will be filled in electronically by the participants in the digital triage group, and by the nurse in the telephone group (and documented in the electronic medical record).

Conditions

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Infections Injuries Psychiatric Disorder Gastro-Intestinal Disorder Skin Diseases

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

Randomization 1:1
Primary Study Purpose

HEALTH_SERVICES_RESEARCH

Blinding Strategy

NONE

Study Groups

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Digital triage

Patients are triaged with symptom assessment by a nurse using a digital platform. They are receiving either advice for self-care, referred to other care-level or booked to a digital or physical visit on the primary health care center.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Digital triage

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

A registered nurse assesses the symptoms reported by the patient on the online platform and gives appropriate advice for further care using chat.

Telephone triage

Patients are triaged with symptom assessment by a nurse using tradition telephone. They are receiving either advice for self-care, referred to other care-level or booked to a digital or physical visit on the primary health care center.

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Digital triage

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

A registered nurse assesses the symptoms reported by the patient on the online platform and gives appropriate advice for further care using chat.

Interventions

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Digital triage

A registered nurse assesses the symptoms reported by the patient on the online platform and gives appropriate advice for further care using chat.

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Other Intervention Names

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Symptom assessment

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* Age 18 years or older who is listed at the health center

Exclusion Criteria

* Patients \<18 years or parents seeking advice for their children

* Cannot communicate in Swedish or other communication difficulties in language or writing
* Patients without a mobile Bank identification (to log in to the platform)
* Administrative issues, e.g. rebooking of time
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Sponsors

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Region Skane

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Veronica Milos Nymberg

Associate professor

Responsibility Role PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

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Veronica V Milos Nymberg, PhD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Lund University

Locations

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Veronica Milos Nymberg

Malmo, Region Skane, Sweden

Site Status RECRUITING

Countries

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Sweden

Central Contacts

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Veronica V Milos Nymberg, PhD

Role: CONTACT

0046767700240

Facility Contacts

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Veronica V Milos Nymberg, PhD

Role: primary

0767700240

Susanna Calling, PhD

Role: backup

0724640728

Other Identifiers

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2022-03883-01

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

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