What does "triage" mean in a medical setting?

In a medical setting, triage refers to the process of determining treatment priorities based on the severity of a patient's condition. This is crucial in emergency and urgent care situations where multiple patients may require attention simultaneously. By assessing which patients need immediate care versus those who can wait, healthcare providers can allocate resources effectively and ensure that the most critically ill patients receive timely treatment.

The other options do not relate to triage specifically. For instance, scheduling patient appointments focuses on organizing visits and managing patient flow, whereas billing involves financial transactions for services provided. Managing medical inventory pertains to stock control and supply management within a healthcare facility. Each of these processes is important in its own right but does not address the urgent prioritization of care that defines triage.