Skip to main content
OpenTrials
Completed

NCT Number: NCT05589168

911 Nurse Triage Line

Each year, millions of Americans call 911 for time-sensitive issues that don't require Emergency Medical Services (EMS). In need of medical help, these callers may treat 911 as an entry point into the healthcare system, yet an ambulance to the emergency department can harm both their own long-term health and the health of others. In a field experiment in Washington, DC, the investigators randomly assign nurses directly into 911 calls in order to triage low-acuity calls. While other 911 reforms have denied callers access to alternative resources, this effort reforms 911 by offering appropriate care.

Completed

Looking for future studies?

Notify Me

Key information

Conditions

Emergencies Disease Attributes Pathologic Processes Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Office of Unified Communications

Washington D.C., District of Columbia, 20032, United States

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Low-acuity call

Exclusion criteria

  • Incarcerated

Treatment and study plan

Triage nurse

Behavioral

Triage nurse joins 911 call

No triage nurse

Behavioral

Triage nurse does not join 911 call (business as usual)

Primary outcomes

  1. Ambulance dispatch

    Time frame: During or immediately subsequent to call

    Ambulance is dispatched in response to the 911 call

  2. Ambulance transport

    Time frame: During or immediately subsequent to call

    Caller is transported in dispatched ambulance

  3. ED visit, 24 hours

    Time frame: 24 hours

    Emergency department visit within 24 hours

  4. ED visit, 6 months

    Time frame: 6 months

    Emergency department visit with 6 months

  5. Primary care visit, 24 hours

    Time frame: 24 hours

    Primary care visit within 24 hours

  6. Primary care visit, 6 months

    Time frame: 6 months

    Primary care visit within 6 months

  7. 911 use, 24 hours

    Time frame: 24 hours

    Whether caller made subsequent calls to 911 within 24 hours

  8. 911 use, 6 months

    Time frame: 6 months

    Whether caller made subsequent calls to 911 within 6 months

  9. Health expenditures

    Time frame: 6 months

    Total dollars and log-transformed dollars of Medicaid health expenditures

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

The Lab @ DC

Other Gov

Registry information

Official study title

911 Nurse Triage Line Randomized Controlled Trial

Important dates

Study start
2018
Primary completion
2019
Study completion
2019
First posted
Oct 21, 2022
Registry last updated
Oct 21, 2022

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

Related clinical trials

Published trials that share one or more normalized conditions with this study.