Patient Triage Framework
How to route every lead efficiently — Jessica handles intake, Dr. Sia handles treatment
⚡ The Problem
Every lead currently goes straight to Dr. Sia. With 30-40 leads/month growing to 60+, he becomes the bottleneck. His time should be spent treating patients, not doing initial data collection that someone else can handle.
The fix: a simple triage system where Jessica collects all the information first, categorises the case, and Dr. Sia only gets involved when clinical expertise is actually needed.
🔄 The Flow
1. Lead arrives (website / phone / email)
Nima's CRM — logged & acknowledged within 1 hour
↓
2. Jessica calls patient for intake
Jessica — 15-20 min call, fills out intake form
↓
3. Triage decision — 3 colour categories
Jessica — follows the framework below
↓
GREEN → Jessica
Handles fully
BLUE → Jessica books with Dr. Sia
Prepares file, he reviews
RED → Dr. Sia urgently
Same-day contact
🟢 GREEN — Jessica Handles Fully
Jessica does the full intake, books the appointment, and manages the patient. Dr. Sia is not involved until treatment day.
| Lead Type | Examples | What Jessica Does |
| General enquiries |
Pricing questions, opening hours, location, what treatments are offered |
Answer questions, provide info, book consultation if interested |
| Simple bookings |
Returning patients booking follow-ups, routine check-ups |
Schedule directly, confirm appointment |
| Referrals from other dentists |
Dentist refers patient with a clear treatment need already identified |
Collect referral letter, book consultation with Dr. Sia, prepare file |
| Post-treatment follow-ups |
Existing patients checking in, reporting minor issues, appliance adjustments |
Triage the issue, book adjustment if needed, escalate to Dr. Sia if serious |
🔵 BLUE — Jessica Preps, Dr. Sia Treats
Jessica does the full intake, gathers all clinical information, prepares a summary, and books the patient with Dr. Sia. Dr. Sia reviews the summary before the appointment so no time is wasted.
| Lead Type | Examples | What Jessica Gathers Before Dr. Sia |
| TMJ / jaw pain |
Grinding, clenching, jaw tension, clicking |
Pain duration, severity (1-10), triggers (morning/night), previous treatments, stress levels |
| Sleep apnea / snoring |
Adult breathing issues during sleep, fatigue |
Sleep study results if any, partner observations, BMI, fatigue level, previous diagnosis |
| Children — growth & airway |
Mouth breathing, crowding, dummy use, bite issues |
Child's age, specific symptoms, duration, ENT history (tonsils/adenoids), dummy/thumb habits |
| Orthodontic relapse |
Previous braces, teeth moved back |
When braces were worn, what was treated, current concerns, retainers used |
| Cosmetic / aesthetic |
Teeth appearance, gaps, discolouration |
Specific concern photos, timeline expectations, budget |
| Adult airway / breathing |
Narrow jaw, nasal breathing difficulty |
Breathing symptoms, sleep quality, previous ortho/extractions, ENT history |
Key: Dr. Sia receives a 1-page summary before every BLUE appointment — symptoms, history, and Jessica's intake notes. He walks in already knowing the case.
🔴 RED — Dr. Sia Same-Day
These need Dr. Sia's attention immediately. Jessica contacts him directly (not next available appointment).
| Red Flag | Why | Action |
| Severe acute pain |
Possible infection, fracture, or acute TMJ episode |
Same-day emergency slot |
| Child with severe breathing issues / possible sleep apnea |
Airway compromise in children is urgent — affects brain development |
Priority booking within 48 hours |
| Post-treatment complication |
Appliance broken, severe pain after procedure, infection signs |
Same-day, Dr. Sia assesses directly |
| Dental trauma |
Accident, injury to teeth or jaw |
Same-day emergency |
📋 Jessica's Intake Script
Jessica asks these questions on the first call. Takes 15-20 minutes. The answers determine the triage colour.
For all patients:
- Full name, date of birth (or child's DOB if parent calling)
- Phone number and email
- How did you hear about us? (referral source tracking)
- What is the main reason you're contacting us?
- How long has this been an issue?
- Have you seen another dentist or doctor about this? What did they say?
- Are you currently in any pain? (Rate 1-10)
- Any previous dental treatments, braces, or extractions?
- Any medical conditions or medications we should know about?
- Do you have dental insurance?
For children specifically:
- Does your child breathe through their mouth or nose?
- Does your child snore at night?
- Has your child used a dummy / thumb-sucks? Until what age?
- Has your child had their tonsils or adenoids checked?
- Any feeding difficulties as a baby? (tongue tie, breastfeeding issues)
- Has your child had any speech issues?
For TMJ / grinding specifically:
- When did the pain/tension start?
- Is it worse in the morning (night grinding) or during the day?
- Does your partner notice you grinding at night?
- Any clicking, popping, or locking of the jaw?
- Have you used a night guard before? Did it help?
- Are you under significant stress currently?
📝 Dr. Sia's Pre-Appointment Summary
Jessica fills this in for every BLUE patient. Dr. Sia reads it before walking into the appointment. Takes 2 minutes to review instead of 20 minutes discovering from scratch.
Patient: _______________________ Age: ______
Date: ____________ Appt time: ________
Triage: BLUE / RED
Chief complaint:
_____________________________________________
Duration: _____ Pain level: ___/10
Relevant history:
_____________________________________________
Red flags noted: ☐ Yes ☐ No
Suggested focus for consultation:
_____________________________________________
Jessica's notes:
_____________________________________________
⏱️ Time Impact
| Current (No Triage) | With Triage |
| Initial consultation |
Dr. Sia spends 30-40 min discovering the case |
Dr. Sia spends 10-15 min (summary already read) |
| Phone enquiries |
Dr. Sia handles many directly |
Jessica handles 100% of initial calls |
| Scheduling |
Ad-hoc, reactive |
Systematic — Jessica books based on triage category |
| Time saved per patient |
— |
~20-25 minutes |
| 30 patients/month × 20 min saved |
— |
= 10+ hours/month freed for Dr. Sia |
That's 10+ hours per month Dr. Sia gets back — equivalent to seeing 15-20 more patients without working a single extra hour.