RESUMO
OBJECTIVE: To compare the work of telenurses working from home with that of their colleagues working in a health call centre. DESIGN: A retrospective review of existing clinical and other data. SETTING: NURSE-ON-CALL, the telephone triage and advice line operated for the Department of Human Services, Victoria by McKesson Asia Pacific. SUBJECTS: Nurses employed by McKesson Asia Pacific, Victoria, Australia working in their call centre and from home. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Comparison between nurses working from home with those working in the centre: demographics and dispositions of callers, management of mystery callers, frequency of risk incidents, productivity, and satisfaction. RESULTS: Callers sought triage for the same range of symptoms and were triaged to similar dispositions; mystery callers were managed similarly; there were a similar number of risk incidents. Nurses working from home were more productive, took fewer days sick leave and had a lower attrition rate. Nurses working from home identified more flexible hours and less travel as advantages. No disadvantages were identified. CONCLUSIONS: Nurses who worked from home were provided with adequate education for their role, full technological facilities, decision support software, ready access to supervision and continuing education. They managed a similar range of cases as nurses working in a health call centre, did so as safety, were more productive and expressed high levels of satisfaction.