The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services recently released its Framework for Health Equity. The ability for stakeholders to understand and act on social determinants of health (SDOH) is central to this framework—not only ensuring the highest quality of care for all patients but also driving down unsustainable healthcare costs. Establishing a registered nurse as the first point of contact for patient triage is proving to be a critical driver of SDOH capture and ensuring patients receive timely care in the most appropriate setting.

Research shows that individuals with chronic conditions or social determinants of health are less likely to forego care and intervention and demonstrate significant improvement in quality of life when a nurse triage program is available. This reduces the chances that a patient’s condition will deteriorate while waiting for care. It also decreases the need for hospitalization.