OBJECTIVE: Describe the implementation of the Welcoming with Risk Classification in the Hospital São Paulo´s Emergency Department, as well as present its theoretical reference. The Protocol determines the waiting time for health treatment based on the severity of the patient's condition, and it is performed by a registered nurse. The Welcoming with Risk Classification strategy enables the organization of patient flow and better identification of patients, giving priority to patients with greater risks of death and health problems; offers information to citizens who seek Hospital São Paulo about the Brazilian public health system (SUS); shows the kind of healthcare and the type of patient that are present in the hospital (most of the patients could have sought other levels of care such as primary care). The implementation process generated subsidies for the discussion on the role of the HSP ED within SUS in the city of São Paulo.
Emergency medical services; Public health; Hospitals, teaching; Humanization of assistance