OREANDA-NEWS. September 11, 2012. McKesson Health Solutions, a business unit of McKesson Corporation focused on delivering leading care management solutions to the payer, provider and government markets, announced results of two surveys of callers to the McKesson VITAL Nurse Advice Line, reported the press-centre of McKesson.  

Available 24/7, the McKesson VITAL Nurse Advice Line service plays a pivotal role in directing callers to the appropriate level of care, helping members navigate the health care system, and improving access to doctors and other health care providers.

An independent survey of callers to the McKesson VITAL Nurse Advice Line found that 94% of survey respondents reported being satisfied or very satisfied with the VITAL Nurse Advice Line,, and 94% of survey respondents said they would use the VITAL Nurse Advice Line service again. The survey also reported that 75% of callers who followed the nurse’s recommendation said that by following the nurse’s advice, their medical condition was resolved when asked in follow up calls.

In a separate survey asking about callers’ pre-intent – what the caller would have done to resolve their medical issue if the McKesson VITAL Nurse Advice Line had not been available – the report found that 82% of callers with pre-intent to visit an emergency room were redirected to a less urgent level of care, 58% of callers were redirected to a less emergent level of care than they initially intended, and 33% of callers were appropriately directed to self care.

Averaging 25 years of experience, McKesson nurses use a unique, evidence-based clinical content model to assess and record a caller’s symptoms, and then identify medically sound next steps in the care process. McKesson’s patented algorithm-based clinical assessment tools closely match a physician’s questions and recommendations, and therefore do a better job than guideline-based models of helping to ensure that callers are directed to the correct care for their specific symptoms.

“We are very pleased with the results of these surveys, because they demonstrate that the McKesson VITAL Nurse Advice Line helps accurately identify a caller’s needs and ensure that he or she is directed to the right level of care at the right time,” said Naoise Colgan, Vice President, Care Management Solutions at McKesson. “As a result, unnecessary emergency room visits will decrease, leading to medical and administrative cost savings; while at the same time, getting callers to the right care for their symptoms leads to healthier individuals.”