There is a difference between absolute clinical priority as defined using the method in this book, anti relative priority within and between triage categories. In overview the process of triage as outlined here is quite simple —patients are assigned to a triage category and then managed in order of priority mid time of attendance. However there are many other factors apart from clinical priority which may from time to time influence how the patient is handled within the Emergency Department. This chapter outlines these factors and discusses their importance. Clinical priority and the findings that determine it are dearly very important, but failure to recognize other factors can be detrimental to both departmental function and quality of care for individual patients.
