Practices with improved access make no distinction between urgent and routine appointments. Remember, if the goal is to do today's work today, the distinction between urgent and routine is no longer necessary. For primary care, the only distinctions between appointment types needed are:

• Provider is present vs. provider is absent
• A short appointment type for return visits
• A long appointment type for physicals and new patients

When the provider is present the patient is seen, and when the provider is absent the patient is offered the choice of an appointment the next time the provider is present or today with another care team member. All other special appointment types, such as those for disease entity or physicals by age groups, can be eliminated.

Reducing appointment types simplifies telephone appointment triage, allows more flexibility for patients, and reduces queues.