The order of care

The order of care

The order of care is prioritized in the ED through the triage system. It is used in sorting and classifying patients into different priority levels depending on the nature and severity of their injuries or conditions. Patients with the highest acuity needs will be first to receive the quickest evaluation by the ED nurses, and their treatment is prioritized when it comes to resource utilization within the healthcare facility. Such patients will be allowed access to resources such as x-ray studies, lab-work CT scans, among others. Patients that are considered to have low acuity will always take longer in accessing such services.

In most cases, triage systems in such EDs are classified into a three-tier model of emergent, urgent and non-urgent. Emergent triage patients are categorized as those whose conditions might pose a threat to their life or limb. A trauma patient, showing signs of bleeding would be prioritized as an emergent patient when it comes to the triage process in an ED. An urgent triage, on the other hand, means that a patient needs to be treated quickly despite there being no immediate threat to life existing. Patients suffering from illnesses such as a new onset of pneumonia might be categorized under such a priority level. Non-urgent patients are considered as patients who can wait for the provision of healthcare services without the fear of any significant risks. Patients with cold symptoms or simple fractures are mainly categorized in this priority.