The patient emergency may present before or after the in-office visit. Physicians and office staff must be prepared to recognize crucial clinical clues and respond appropriately. Many offices operate telephone triage lines or a more formal nurse-on-call program. Regardless of formality, these programs share common goals and also encounter similar challenges. Hindsight is 20/20. What can be improved to make the critical yet often subtle distinctions that warrant an emergency referral, rather than simply scheduling the patient for another “routine” office appointment? Read the article here.