Telephone triage in midwifery practice: A cross-sectional survey

Abstract

Background: Childbearing women commonly access maternity services via the telephone. A midwife receiving these calls listens to the woman's concerns and then triages women according to their assessment. This may result in the provision of advice and instruction over the telephone or inviting the woman into the health service for further assessment. Midwives are responsible for all care and advice given to women, including via the telephone. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences and practices of midwives regarding their management of telephone triage. Design: A cross-sectional survey. Setting and participants: Purposive non-probabilistic sampling of currently pr..