Obstetric and fetal triage

Triage in healthcare is sorting patients by acuity to prioritize them for full evaluation. Standardizing this process with the use of triage acuity classification tools has been shown to improve patient flow and quality of care in the emergency department. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends that pregnant women be triaged based on acuity, rather than time of arrival, and that obstetric triage acuity scales can serve as templates for use at the facility level. Three obstetric triage acuity scales developed in North America are reviewed and the implementation of one in a system with 40 birth hospitals is described. Use of obstetric triage acuity scales resulted in timelier initial assessment and decreased wait times. Acuity, volume, and trends data helped improve nurse and provider staffing in triage units. These findings support the promise of obstetric triage acuity scales to promote efficient care.