Institute:Office of National Coordinator (ONC) Workforce Training Curriculum
Component:Introduction to Health Care and Public Health in the U.S.
Unit:Delivering Health Care - Part 2
Lecture:Roles of Different Health Care Providers
Slide content:Clinical Roles - 3 Triage Nurse Takes phone calls Problem-solves issues R efers complex issues to physician Arrange referrals Back-office Medical Assistants Telephone triage Referral coordination Point-of-care procedures 10
Slide notes:In addition to meeting the front-office clinical team, the patient may also make contact with the back office. Members of this cohort include the triage nurse, who takes telephone calls, problem solves issues for patients, and refers complex cases to the physician. The triage nurse may also advise the patient to go to an urgent care center or to an emergency department. The triage nurse may also arrange referrals for the patient. Back-office medical assistants may take on multiple roles, including telephone triage, referral coordination, or point-of-care procedures such as ear washes, capillary blood glucose monitoring, or urinalysis. The difference between a triage nurse and a medical assistant is that the nurse has a higher level of training. 10