Evaluation of Telenursing Outcomes: Satisfaction, Self‐Care Practices, and Cost Savings

Abstract

Info‐Santé CLSC, the Québec telenursing service, is a telephone health line nursing service that was implemented in 1995 in every local community service center (CLSC; n= 141) of 15 regional health authorities in the Province of Québec, Canada. It is, at present, one of the most important first‐line health services and it operates in continuity with the other resources in the health and social service system. Info‐Santé CLSC operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and received more than 2,260,000 calls in 1997. This article will report the findings from the first province‐wide survey of the service, based on a stratified random sample of 4,696 callers. The findings revealed that most respondents were highly satisfied with the service; they followed the nurses' advice and carried out self‐care measures as recommended. Nursing interventions helped respondents feel self‐reliant, like they could solve the same or similar problems should they occur in the future. The vast majority of respondents considered that the call they made to Info‐Santé CLSC was useful in finding a solution to their problems. The vast majority also claimed that they would certainly call Info‐Santé CLSC again should another problem occur. The majority reported they would have turned to another type of resource if Info‐Santé CLSC had not existed; half of the respondents stated that they would have used emergency departments and a third would have consulted a doctor in private practice.