The time from a patient's arrival at a clinic or emergency department to first being seen by a qualified provider. It is a standard measure of how long patients wait for care.
See also: Wait time, Urgent care, Triage level
Door-to-doctor time
The time from a patient's arrival at a clinic or emergency department to first being seen by a qualified provider. It is a standard measure of how long patients wait for care.
Nov 8, 2026
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Urgent care
A clinic that treats illnesses and injuries that need same-day care but are not emergencies, such as sprains, minor cuts and infections. Urgent care centers take walk-ins and often let patients hold a place in the queue before arriving.
Walk-in clinic
A clinic that sees patients without an appointment, in order of arrival or need. Walk-in clinics often sit in pharmacies or retail stores and treat routine conditions, vaccinations and minor illnesses.
Triage level
A rating clinical staff give each arriving patient for how urgently they need care. Emergency departments commonly use a five-level scale such as the Emergency Severity Index, where level 1 is most urgent; patients are seen by level, then by arrival.
Intake form
The form a patient (the party) completes before or at a visit, covering contact details, insurance, history and consents. Completing intake ahead of arrival shortens time at the check-in desk.
Check-in desk
The front desk where patients arrive for a visit: staff confirm identity and the appointment, collect insurance and copays and mark the patient as arrived so clinical staff know who is waiting.