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Table 2 Characteristics of 11,088 healthdirect calls, 1 July 2008–15 December 2011 according to dispositions

From: Compliance with telephone triage advice among adults aged 45 years and older: an Australian data linkage study

Call characteristics

Dispositions (N, %a)

Total

N (%a)

Attend ED immediately

See doctor immediately, in 4 or 24 h

Self-care

Low-urgencyb

Patient sex

 Male

698 (42.6%)

2319 (36.3%)

538 (32.5%)

523 (37.1%)

4078 (36.8%)

 Female

940 (57.4%)

4065 (63.7%)

1118 (67.5%)

887 (62.9%)

7010 (63.2%)

Patient’s age (at call)

 45–54

344 (21.0%)

1479 (23.2%)

394 (23.8%)

260 (18.4%)

2477 (22.3%)

 55–64

494 (30.2%)

1942 (30.4%)

443 (26.8%)

381 (27.0%)

3260 (29.4%)

 65–74

430 (26.3%)

1601 (25.1%)

430 (26.0%)

376 (26.7%)

2837 (25.6%)

 75+

370 (22.6%)

1362 (21.3%)

389 (23.5%)

393 (27.9%)

2514 (22.7%)

Time of call

 In-hours

378 (23.1%)

1871 (29.3%)

497 (30.0%)

505 (35.8%)

3251 (29.3%)

 After-hours

1260 (76.9%)

4513 (70.7%)

1159 (70.0%)

905 (64.2%)

7837 (70.7%)

Caller patient relationship

 Self

1214 (74.1%)

5256 (82.3%)

1444 (87.2%)

1266 (89.8%)

9180 (82.8%)

 Spouse, partner

258 (15.8%)

633 (9.9%)

120 (7.2%)

78 (5.5%)

1089 (9.8%)

 Other

152 (9.3%)

441 (6.9%)

78 (4.7%)

60 (4.3%)

731 (6.6%)

 Unknown

14 (0.9%)

54 (0.8%)

14 (0.8%)

6 (0.4%)

88 (0.8%)

Original intention

 Self-care at home

243 (14.8%)

889 (13.9%)

358 (21.6%)

225 (16.0%)

1715 (15.5%)

 Call ambulance or attend ED

519 (31.7%)

1266 (19.8%)

158 (9.5%)

170 (12.1%)

2113 (19.1%)

 Contact doctor or healthcare provider

241 (14.7%)

1706 (26.7%)

328 (19.8%)

389 (27.6%)

2664 (24.0%)

 Did not know what to do

539 (32.9%)

2125 (33.3%)

661 (39.9%)

500 (35.5%)

3825 (34.5%)

 Missing

96 (5.9%)

398 (6.2%)

151 (9.1%)

126 (8.9%)

771 (7.0%)

Triage protocol

 Skin, wound

79 (4.8%)

512 (8.0%)

57 (3.4%)

49 (3.5%)

697 (6.3%)

 Limbs and extremities

118 (7.2%)

738 (11.6%)

126 (7.6%)

93 (6.6%)

1075 (9.7%)

 Bite, burns, chemical exposure

107 (6.5%)

285 (4.5%)

243 (14.7%)

12 (0.9%)

647 (5.8%)

 Respiratory

103 (6.3%)

364 (5.7%)

45 (2.7%)

41 (2.9%)

553 (5.0%)

 Head, neck, face non-injury

67 (4.1%)

255 (4.0%)

27 (1.6%)

110 (7.8%)

459 (4.1%)

 Neurological, headache, seizure

58 (3.5%)

685 (10.7%)

39 (2.4%)

105 (7.4%)

887 (8.0%)

 Abdominal pain or injury

213 (13.0%)

583 (9.1%)

20 (1.2%)

113 (8.0%)

929 (8.4%)

 Cold, flu, fever

24 (1.5%)

281 (4.4%)

66 (4.0%)

18 (1.3%)

389 (3.5%)

 Postoperative

43 (2.6%)

313 (4.9%)

52 (3.1%)

26 (1.8%)

434 (3.9%)

 Cardiac

360 (22.0%)

421 (6.6%)

33 (2.0%)

184 (13.0%)

998 (9.0%)

 Bleeding

82 (5.0%)

305 (4.8%)

36 (2.2%)

84 (6.0%)

507 (4.6%)

 Nausea, vomiting

52 (3.2%)

182 (2.9%)

63 (3.8%)

17 (1.2%)

314 (2.8%)

 Gastrointestinal

67 (4.1%)

316 (4.9%)

79 (4.8%)

203 (14.4%)

665 (6.0%)

 Head, neck, face injury

55 (3.4%)

141 (2.2%)

48 (2.9%)

27 (1.9%)

271 (2.4%)

 Seen by a provider earlier

0 (0.0%)

293 (4.6%)

180 (10.9%)

88 (6.2%)

562 (5.1%)

 Other symptoms

210 (12.8%)

710 (11.1%)

542 (32.7%)

240 (17.0%)

1701 (15.3%)

Total

1638 (100%)

6384 (100%)

1656 (100%)

1410 (100%)

11,088 (100%)

  1. a: Percentage of the column
  2. b: Including dispositions: see doctor in 72 h or 2 weeks, see a dentist in 72 h, in 2 weeks or when available, see a health provider in 72 h, in 2 weeks or when available