TRIAP: Is Triage by Healthcare Mini-teams Effective to Improve Efficiency in Primary Health Care?

Summary

Background: With new challenges for healthcare, there is a clear consensus among experts on the need to introduce changes in the organization of care in health centres to address the problems of over-attendance, bureaucratization and other emerging issues that require growing amounts of attention. However, there has been insufficient research into possible models and the impact of their adoption.

The objective is to assess the feasibility and effectiveness of the TRIAP intervention, a new organizational model based on triage and healthcare mini-teams (two general practitioners/pediatricians, two nurses and one member of the administrative staff) compared to the current model, aiming to achieve a correct classification of the healthcare needs of the primary care population and direct them to the most suitable professional.

In addition, the implementation research objective is to identify the facilitators for and barriers to the implementation of the intervention in the context of primary care.

Methods/ design: This is a quasi-experimental controlled clinical trial to be performed in 14 healthcare mini-teams (7 intervention and 7 control groups) from 8 health centres in the Basque Healthcare Service (Osakidetza) Interior Health Region.

The results will be assessed using the data on morbidity-adjusted attendance of users to their family doctor, number of referral, addition of new activities to the portfolio of services, and patient perception and professional satisfaction. All the variables will be measured at baseline and at the end of the intervention, 24 months later.

Using covariance analysis models, the investigators will estimate the effect attributable to the intervention by analyzing differences in changes between the two groups, and calculating the 95% confidence interval, adjusting the comparisons for baseline values. The investigators will also adjust for potential confounding and effect-modifying variables.

Nominal groups will be held at the end of the intervention with the participation of all the agents involved in intervention centres to identify the facilitators for and barriers to the implementation of the intervention.

Discussion: There is a need to develop new forms of organization in primary care services to respond to new healthcare demands. To pursue this aim, changes have to be introduced in the organization of healthcare within health centres, redefining the roles of primary care professionals and refocusing their activity towards population health needs, seeking greater efficiency in health services.

Conditions

• Organization of Health Service

Interventions

OTHER

TRIAP

The primary healthcare professionals organised in healthcare mini-teams, composed of 2 doctors, 2 nurses and 1 member of the administrative staff. 1. Administrative staff: Following a flow chart, they will refer patients with mild self-limiting illnesses as well as consultations regarding chronic disorders in adults to the nurses. They will also perform administrative tasks such as the printing of prescriptions, sick leave reports and medical notes (justifying absence), etc. 2. Nursing staff: They will carry out activities focused on health promotion, self-management and de-medicalisation during visits from patients with mild self-limiting illnesses as well as appointments for chronic diseases in adults. 3. GP: They will develop the new portfolio of services: health promotion, joint review of patient medical records by doctors and nurses to improve the management of certain groups of patients, and organization of minor surgery services, etc.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Basque Health Service

  lead OTHER_GOV

Study Design

Allocation

NON_RANDOMIZED

Purpose

HEALTH_SERVICES_RESEARCH

Masking

NONE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2012-09-30

Primary Completion

2014-10-31

Completion

2014-10-31

Countries

• Spain

Study Locations