Nurse advice lines (NALs) are a proven model for expanding access to timely clinical
guidance while optimizing provider workloads. They enable patients to connect with
trained nurses, often outside of traditional office hours, for real-time assessment and
direction to the appropriate level of care. To guide these interactions, most NALs rely on
structured triage protocols designed to ensure safety and consistency.
As healthcare systems face mounting pressure to improve access, reduce unnecessary
emergency visits, and streamline care delivery, NALs are more critical than ever. Once
considered a supplemental service, NALs now play a central role in helping patients
navigate their care journey, offering timely clinical guidance and triage support. Yet
despite their importance, many NALs remain constrained by legacy systems,
inconsistent content, and workflows that don't reflect the needs of modern patients or
clinicians.
To meet today’s standards for safety, equity, and efficiency, NALs must transform. In
this four-part blog series, we examine three key elements of modern NAL operations
and how they can future-proof their solutions.
We begin today by discussing why modern NALs must integrate with industry-
trusted clinical content, which serves as the foundation of safe triage.
Essential Element #1: Leverage Industry-Trusted Clinical Content
At the core of every high-performing NAL is one critical element: clinical content that is
accurate, up-to-date, and trusted by clinicians. The importance of using gold-standard
triage guidelines cannot be overstated—without them, nurse triage becomes
inconsistent, subjective, and vulnerable to error. Integrating Schmitt-Thompson Clinical
Content (STCC) is therefore the first essential step for any modern NAL.
STCC has been the industry leader in nurse triage protocols for over two decades.
Developed by Drs. Barton Schmitt and David Thompson, these protocols are widely
recognized as the most evidence-based, rigorously maintained triage content available.
Their comprehensive coverage across both adult and pediatric conditions is particularly
important in nurse advice settings where encounters span all ages and clinical
situations.
In fact, STCC serves 95 percent of medical call centers in North America (source:
https://www.stcc-triage.com/). What sets STCC apart is not just its clinical rigor, but also
its practical design: each protocol is written in clear language, follows a structured
decision-tree model, and includes disposition recommendations that align with real-
world healthcare resources.
Why not use other triage protocols?
While some organizations opt for proprietary or homegrown triage protocols, this
approach introduces clinical and legal risks. Non-standardized content is harder to
maintain, more likely to contain gaps or outdated guidance, and may not stand up to
scrutiny in the event of an adverse outcome. STCC, by contrast, undergoes frequent
updates and quality reviews, ensuring nurses have access to the most current guidance
on emerging conditions, including updates for COVID-19 and Respiratory Syncytial
Virus (RSV), for example.
Moreover, licensing STCC through an integrated digital platform creates a structured
framework that supports automation, clinical documentation, and interoperability with
the EMR.
The digital advantage: embedding STCC into nurse workflows
Embedding STCC protocols into a modern digital interface not only guides decision-
making but also unlocks efficiency gains. No longer must nurses manually navigate
hundreds of guidelines to find the one that best matches the patient’s situation. Rather,
modern nurse triage platforms ensure all the right questions are consistently asked so
that patient-reported symptoms are accurately linked the most clinically appropriate
STCC guideline, allowing nurses to quickly arrive at the correct disposition.
Integrating industry-trusted clinical guidelines and protocols form the backbone of
modern NALs and sets the stage for scalable, high-quality patient care.
Conclusion
Modern NALs are essential to delivering safe, accessible, and efficient care. By
integrating industry-trusted clinical content like Schmitt-Thompson protocols, NALs can
ensure triage consistency, reduce risk, and improve patient outcomes. This foundational
step sets the stage for scalable, high-quality triage that meets today’s healthcare
demands. In the next part of our series, we’ll explore how NALs can meet patients
where they are through multimodal access and inclusive digital tools.