Ophthalmic Assistant

Answer: B - triage.

The procedure followed when a patient calls the office with an urgent or emergency situation is called triage. Though some knowledge of ocular disease is necessary in order to make triage determinations, and the exact guidelines may vary from office to office, front-desk staff is usually tasked with triage duties. Generally, an urgent situation calls for a same-day or next-day appointment while an emergency situation calls for an immediate trip to the physician’s office or to an emergency room.