Triage – Exactly What Is It And Why?
Have you ever been on the patient end of things and wondered why you have sat for three hours in the emergency room and others who had signed in after you were seen nearly promptly? Well, there is a reason, and it’s a very good one. The purpose of this out of order procedure that seems to be in disarray to many except those in healthcare is to ensure that the most serious ailments are taken care of first. This procedure has a name, and it is called triage.
So now we know how simple triage basically is – take the worst situations first. One serious question about triage though is how does one know this in an eye care profession and who makes that call? For the most part, to answer that question, it is the doctor who sets up triage practices in his or her office. Triage that is generally understood in eyecare offices as as emergencies are trauma, severe pain, excessive floaters all at once, blindness, chemical burns etc are serious business and must be seen ahead of every person who may already be there for healthy or routine visits such as eyeglasses prescriptions, contacts, or screenings as follow-ups to a particular disease such as diabetes who are generally seen every 6 months if things are normal.
All this being stated, triage is generally understood by most patients whenever it happens to occur in offices whether they know the proper term for it or not. Sure, there will be some who insist that triage is unfair, however, an emergency is an emergency.
Patient History: Human Body Systems Importance In Eye Examinations
One of the most important studies of the human body is knowing the bodies main systems and how each operates. In less of an Optician’s field but more in the field of Ophthalmology, this type of system knowledge is used to assist in the treatment of an individual as brings the physician into the knowledge of any preexisting conditions that could be the cause of an existing eye problem. Also it alerts the doctor of any meds that the patient could be on and even possible side effects of medications that could exacerbate a condition. For example, arthritis is fairly common in those with dry eye pain and those with higher cholesterol levels could in fact develop a white, opaque ring around their iris which is called arcus senilis. Therefore, with all this being known, when collecting the patient history prior to the examination, know the systems of the body and what is to be notated.
Below are a few examples of the paragraph above.
Muscular/ Skeletal – This system describes the bones and muscles. When taking the patients health history, note any issues such as arthritis, inflammation, fibromyalgia, amputations/broken limbs, and the list goes on and on. From there, it is important that you obtain any and all meds associated with the condition.
Cardio/Circulatory – Heart issues are a must to document. Why? Minor and major surgeries as well as treatment for an ocular problem cannot interfere or exacerbate an issue of the heart. For instance, pace makers, heart murmurs, prior surgeries such as open heart, chest pain etc. All of these things are a must to document as for some, prior conditions must be met before any type of surgical procedure can be started.
**Psychiatric- this is not the same as neuro and not an actual system as it deals with a patients state of mind instead of the brain itself, but it is crucial that it is documented prior to the examination any and all mental issues with patients so the physician can adjust accordingly.
I won’t go into detail with examples about the others as this was just a short example as to why noting patient history in these areas is important but they are listed. It also is a grave matter if in fact a malpractice lawsuit is on the horizon. Documentation is key to success with a patient legally and for future health.
Here is a simple list of the systems below:
Circulatory System – blood, vessels, heart
Urinary System- Bladder, Kidneys
Muscular System- muscles
Skeletal System-bones
Nervous system- brain, spinal and nerves
Digestive System – esophagus, mouth, stomach, intestines
Reproductive System- reproductive organs
Endocrine System – glands
Respiratory System – lungs, nose, trachea
Excretory System – kidneys, intestine, bladder
Endocrine System- glands
