title: Enhancing Care Coordination Through Patient- and Family-Initiated Telephone Encounters: A Quality Improvement Project.
abstract: Telehealth activities are often conducted by ambulatory nurses to assist with care coordination; these activities are especially important for children with complex, chronic conditions. This quality-improvement project examines specific components of nursing care delivered to children on the neurology and gastroenterology services through patient-initiated telephone encounters. Metrics and nurse-sensitive indicators explored include the type of services requested, the nurses' ability to resolve patients' concerns while eliminating otherwise unnecessary care, and associated costs with providing this care. The usefulness of a standardized instrument, the care coordination management tool, used in this project is discussed.
authors.affiliation: Medicine Patient Services, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA; Boston College, William F. Connell School of Nursing, Chestnut Hill, MA. Electronic address: Judith.vessey@childrens.harvard.edu.
authors.forename: Judith A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Vessey
authors.affiliation: Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA.
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: McCrave
authors.affiliation: Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA.
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Curro-Harrington
authors.affiliation: Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA.
authors.forename: Rachel L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: DiFazio
mesh_terms: D000553:Ambulatory Care / Q000458:organization & administration; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000628:therapy; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D005762:Gastroenterology / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D009462:Neurology / Q000379:methods; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D005791:Patient Care / Q000379:methods*; D010348:Patient Care Team / Q000458:organization & administration; D010371:Pediatric Nursing / Q000458:organization & administration*; D058996:Quality Improvement; D013685:Telecommunications / Q000458:organization & administration*; D013689:Telephone
keywords: Care coordination; Pediatric chronic conditions; Quality improvement; Telephone triage