Saudi Journal of Emergency Medicine

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Original Article
SJEMed. 2022; 3(2): 120-129

Public awareness of triage in emergency departments in Saudi Arabia in the era of COVID-19

Authors: Loui K. Alsulimani.

View PDF HTML Fulltext DOI: 10.24911/SJEMed/72-1649846851

Abstract

Background: There is an increasing demand for services from the emergency department (EDs), which has limited resources. The triage process is the key determining step for prioritization in EDs, especially during pandemics. This study aimed to assess public awareness of the triage process in EDs and the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on awareness levels. Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed from August to October 2020. Data were collected using an online survey that was randomly distributed to the public in Saudi Arabia using social media. Results: Of the 1,047 people who received the survey, 687 (66%) completed it. The majority of the respondents (80%) knew why some patients were taken to a room before others, even though they may not have waited as long, and 85.3% thought this was fair. However, only 52% knew exactly what triage meant. Some factors seemed to significantly influence the level of awareness, such as age group [p value = 0.001 and odds ratio (OR) = 0.170], gender (p value = 0.001 and OR = 0.170), employment (p value < 0.001 and OR = 4.904), and region of residency (p value = 0.005 and OR = 2.556). The COVID-19 pandemic did not affect participants’ general knowledge about triage (p value = 0.555, OR = 1.122). Conclusion: The majority of the respondents were aware of the triage process in EDs and thought it was fair. However, there is an existing need for more information when visiting EDs, especially after going through the triage process. ED visitors’ expectations of more clarification and communication should be addressed by the responsible administrations.

Keywords:   triage, public, awareness, emergency, covid-19


© Copyright: Author(s)

Open access Creative Commons License
Public awareness of triage in emergency departments in Saudi Arabia in the era of COVID-19


Authors
Loui K Alsulimani
Department of Emergency Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
PubMed articlesGoogle scholar articles


Correspondence to:
. Loui K. Alsulimani, Department of Emergency Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.; lkalsulimani@kau.edu.sa

Publication history
Received 13 Apr 2022
Accepted 24 Apr 2022
Published online 12 May 2022
Published in print 08 Jun 2022

How to cite this article

Pubmed Style

Loui K. Alsulimani. Public awareness of triage in emergency departments in Saudi Arabia in the era of COVID-19. SJEMed. 2022; 3(2): 120-129. doi:10.24911/SJEMed/72-1649846851


Web Style

Loui K. Alsulimani. Public awareness of triage in emergency departments in Saudi Arabia in the era of COVID-19. https://www.sjemed.com/?mno=15515 [Access: June 06, 2023]. doi:10.24911/SJEMed/72-1649846851


AMA (American Medical Association) Style

Loui K. Alsulimani. Public awareness of triage in emergency departments in Saudi Arabia in the era of COVID-19. SJEMed. 2022; 3(2): 120-129. doi:10.24911/SJEMed/72-1649846851


Vancouver/ICMJE Style

Loui K. Alsulimani. Public awareness of triage in emergency departments in Saudi Arabia in the era of COVID-19. SJEMed. (2022), [cited June 06, 2023]; 3(2): 120-129. doi:10.24911/SJEMed/72-1649846851


Harvard Style

Loui K. Alsulimani (2022) Public awareness of triage in emergency departments in Saudi Arabia in the era of COVID-19. SJEMed, 3 (2), 120-129. doi:10.24911/SJEMed/72-1649846851


Turabian Style

Loui K. Alsulimani. 2022. Public awareness of triage in emergency departments in Saudi Arabia in the era of COVID-19. Saudi Journal of Emergency Medicine, 3 (2), 120-129. doi:10.24911/SJEMed/72-1649846851


Chicago Style

Loui K. Alsulimani. "Public awareness of triage in emergency departments in Saudi Arabia in the era of COVID-19." Saudi Journal of Emergency Medicine 3 (2022), 120-129. doi:10.24911/SJEMed/72-1649846851


MLA (The Modern Language Association) Style

Loui K. Alsulimani. "Public awareness of triage in emergency departments in Saudi Arabia in the era of COVID-19." Saudi Journal of Emergency Medicine 3.2 (2022), 120-129. Print. doi:10.24911/SJEMed/72-1649846851


APA (American Psychological Association) Style

Loui K. Alsulimani (2022) Public awareness of triage in emergency departments in Saudi Arabia in the era of COVID-19. Saudi Journal of Emergency Medicine, 3 (2), 120-129. doi:10.24911/SJEMed/72-1649846851


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