What is triage?

• A. A method for assigning room numbers to patients.
• B. The medical screening of patients to determine their relative priority of need and the proper place of treatment.
• C. A process to schedule appointments.
• D. A system for recording patient complaints.

Answer: (B)

Triage is the medical screening of patients to determine their relative priority of need and the proper place of treatment. In busy emergency settings, it helps decide who needs immediate life-saving care, who can wait, and where to treat each person—such as in the emergency department, urgent care, or a field setting. It focuses on the severity of illness or injury, the risk of deterioration, and how to best allocate limited resources. This is different from simply assigning rooms, scheduling appointments, or recording patient complaints.