Table 11.

Framework for Triage

Time-sensitivea (within 24 h to 8 wk)			Non–time-sensitive
Threat to the patient’s life or permanent dysfunction of an organ, eg, diagnosis and treatment of GI bleeding or cholangitis	Risk of metastasis or progression of stage of disease, eg, work up of symptoms suggestive of cancer	Risk of rapidly worsening progression of disease or severity of symptoms, eg, management decisions, such as treatment for IBD	No short-term impact on patient-important outcomes, eg, screening or surveillance colonoscopy, follow up colonoscopy for +FIT

+FIT, positive fecal immunochemical test; IBD, inflammatory bowel disease.

^aTime-sensitive procedures are defined as procedures that, if deferred, may negatively impact patient-important outcomes. The decision to defer a procedure should be made on a case-by-case basis.