US Medical Term · clinical
Medical Screening Examination
Examen Médico de Clasificación
In 9 languages
| Language | Term |
|---|---|
| English | Medical Screening Examination |
| Spanish (Español) | Examen Médico de Clasificación |
| Chinese (中文) | 医疗筛查检查 |
| Korean (한국어) | 의료 선별 검사 |
| Vietnamese (Tiếng Việt) | Khám sàng lọc y tế khẩn cấp |
| Filipino (Tagalog) | Medical Screening Examination |
| Portuguese (Português) | Exame de triagem médica |
| Thai (ภาษาไทย) | การตรวจคัดกรองทางการแพทย์ |
| Japanese (日本語) | 医療スクリーニング検査 |
What it means
A Medical Screening Examination (MSE) is the required assessment that hospital emergency departments must perform for every person who presents seeking care, regardless of ability to pay, insurance status, citizenship, or identification. Established under EMTALA—the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act—the MSE must be conducted by a qualified medical professional to determine whether an emergency medical condition exists. If one is found, the hospital must provide stabilizing treatment or arrange an appropriate transfer. Refusing to conduct an MSE or turning a patient away before one is completed is a federal violation that can result in fines and loss of Medicare participation.
How to say it
Sentences a patient might use with a doctor, nurse, pharmacist, or insurer:
MSE—emergency medical screening exam
examen médico de clasificación de emergencia
EMTALA screening in the emergency room
evaluación de EMTALA en la sala de emergencias
ER triage and screening examination
examen de triaje y clasificación en urgencias
Where you'll see it
Related terms
Sources
Last reviewed: September 2026