Value appraisal of digital triage platforms

Ingrid Hendriksen, Wendela De Lange, Sander Van Doorn, Vincent Van Vugt

Keywords: digital triage, value appraisal, scoping review

Background:

Digital triage- and consultation preparation (DTCP) is emerging in primary care. Dedicated digital ‘platforms’ are used to assess the urgency of the patients’ complaints, collect information about symptoms and provide advice on next steps. The Dutch government introduced the Digizo.nu program to stimulate the transformation to hybrid care such as DTCP. To validate these platforms a value appraisal of DTCP was undertaken with varied involved stakeholders. The stakeholder group agreed on a measurement plan with ‘acceptance criteria’ for the available evidence.

Research questions:

· What is the available evidence for the value appraisal of six selected DTCP platforms?
· What is needed before these platforms can be scaled up responsibly?

Method:

In a scoping review of available evidence, data was extracted from grey literature provided by the developers of the six selected platforms, supplemented with a systematic literature search. The AACODS checklist was used for critical appraisal of the literature. Results were interpreted and discussed by the stakeholders group of Digizo.nu.

Results:

Ten scientific and thirty-two grey articles were included. The level of evidence was very limited. The accuracy and efficiency of DTCP platforms varied widely. Satisfaction with the use of triage platforms appeared to be high among users. According to the stakeholders, more evidence is needed without slowing down the implementation and use in primary care. Short-cycle research and monitoring of these platforms is necessary before scaling up is possible.

Conclusions:

Despite its widespread implementation, the process of DTCP and the impact on the quality of care has not extensively been evaluated. Stakeholders in Dutch primary care agree that further evidence gathering is crucial before scaling up can take place.

Points for discussion:

Are the results recognizable for other researchers?

Is a value appraisal of digital triage platforms also carried out in other countries?

#94