Patient triage to specialist outpatient clinics-time to standardize terminology.

ABSTRACT:

Objectives

The objectives of this study were to evaluate existing nomenclature used for outpatient referrals triage and propose a system, which meets the needs of McMaster Children's Hospital and can be modified for use in other hospitals.

Methods

We reviewed triage practices in the Department of Pediatrics, McMaster Children Hospital, Hamilton, Ontario and conducted a literature search to assess terminology used for outpatient referrals triage at other institutions.

Results

There is lack of unified terminology for triaging outpatient referrals. Existing systems are not widely accepted, lack uniformity, and often miss recording the true acuity of the referral. We developed a system that covers most outpatient triage scenarios, allocates either flexible or precise visi

SUBMITTER: Belostotsky V 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9394629 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature