Patient Rights What Medical Triage Is in a Hospital Determining Who Needs Emergency Attention First By Trisha Torrey Trisha Torrey Facebook LinkedIn Twitter Trisha Torrey is a patient empowerment and advocacy consultant. She has written several books about patient advocacy and how to best navigate the healthcare system. Learn about our editorial process Updated on February 20, 2022 Medically reviewed Verywell Health articles are reviewed by board-certified physicians and healthcare professionals. These medical reviewers confirm the content is thorough and accurate, reflecting the latest evidence-based research. Content is reviewed before publication and upon substantial updates. Learn more. by Anju Goel, MD, MPH Medically reviewed by Anju Goel, MD, MPH LinkedIn Anju Goel, MD, MPH, is a board-certified physician who specializes in public health, communicable disease, diabetes, and health policy. Learn about our Medical Expert Board Fact checked Verywell Health content is rigorously reviewed by a team of qualified and experienced fact checkers. Fact checkers review articles for factual accuracy, relevance, and timeliness. We rely on the most current and reputable sources, which are cited in the text and listed at the bottom of each article. Content is fact checked after it has been edited and before publication. Learn more. by Marley Hall Fact checked by Marley Hall LinkedIn Marley Hall is a writer and fact checker who is certified in clinical and translational research. Her work has been published in medical journals in the field of surgery, and she has received numerous awards for publication in education. Learn about our editorial process Print When used in medicine and healthcare, the term triage refers to the sorting of injured or sick people according to their need for emergency medical attention. It is a method of determining priority for who gets care first. Triage may be performed by emergency medical technicians (EMTs), hospital emergency room gatekeepers, soldiers on a battlefield, or anyone with knowledge of the system during an emergency situation. Caiaimage / Robert Daly / Getty Images History of Triage The word triage comes from the French word trier, which means to sort or select. Its historic roots for medical purposes go back to the days of Napoleon when triaging large groups of wounded soldiers was necessary. Over the centuries, triage systems have evolved into a well-defined priority process, sometimes requiring specific training depending on the setting or organization that uses the system. When Triage Is Used Triage is used when the medical-care system is overloaded, meaning there are more people who need care than there are available resources to care for them. There may be mass casualties in a war zone, terrorist incident, or natural disaster that results in many injuries. There may be a need for triage when a school bus accident or a large pile-up of cars on a highway results in too many injured people for too few ambulances or EMTs. In the United States, emergency rooms may be full of people who need immediate attention plus people who are seeking treatment for less serious conditions. The department may be staffed just to meet the expected need. When there are too many patients arriving and not enough personnel or other resources, triage is used to determine who gets care first. This ensures the patients who need lifesaving treatment or hospital admission are seen before those who may be presenting for a less serious condition. As such, triage may be considered a form of rationing. It may be a short-term need, as when there is a vehicle accident with multiple casualties needing ambulance transportation. Or, it may be a long-term need for a hospital that is often understaffed for the number of patients who arrive at the emergency department. How Triage Works Triage systems run the gamut from verbal shouting in an unusual emergency to well-defined colored tagging systems used by soldiers and EMTs when they arrive on the scene of a multi-casualty accident or a battlefield with many wounded soldiers. Each organization has its own triage system. They all create priorities for who gets care or is transported for care. The most common triage systems use color-coding that works similar to this: Red: Needs immediate attention for a critical life-threatening injury or illness; transport first for medical help. Yellow: Serious injuries needing immediate attention. In some systems, yellow tags are transported first because they have a better chance of recovery than red-tagged patients. Green: Less serious or minor injuries, non-life-threatening, delayed transport; will eventually need help but can wait for others. Black: Deceased or mortally wounded; black may not mean the person has already died. It may mean that he or she is beyond help and, therefore, is a lower priority than those who can be helped. White: No injury or illness (not used in all systems) Changes to Triage Triage systems have been changing due to technology. There is increased use of telephones, cell phones, the Internet, and closed teleconferencing systems between trauma centers and rural hospitals that cannot afford the latest equipment or high-level specialties. Frequently Asked Questions What do triage nurses do? Triage nurses help evaluate patients and decide the priority of care in an emergency room and other medical settings. They update the medical team on the patient's status and provide emergency care when needed. What is telephone triage? With telephone triage, a nurse listens to your symptoms and assesses your need for care over the phone. They let you know whether you should see a doctor, go to the emergency room, or try at-home treatment. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Sign up for our Health Tip of the Day newsletter, and receive daily tips that will help you live your healthiest life. Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit 2 Sources Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Bazyar J, Farrokhi M, Khankeh H. Triage systems in mass casualty incidents and disasters: A review study with a worldwide approach. Open Access Maced J Med Sci. 2019;7(3):482-494. doi:10.3889/oamjms.2019.119 Johns Hopkins Medicine. Electronic triage tool improves patient care in emergency departments. September 25, 2017 Additional Reading Mccoy CE, Chakravarthy B, Lotfipour S. Guidelines for Field Triage of Injured Patients: In conjunction with the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report published by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. West J Emerg Med. 2013;14(1):69-76. doi:10.5811/westjem.2013.1.15981 Traub SJ, Butler R, Chang YH, Lipinski C. Emergency Department Physician Telemedical Triage. Telemed J E Health. 2013;19(11):841-5. doi:10.1089/tmj.2013.0026