Health professionals and the crime scene: analysis of operational strategies and development of a Data Collection tool

Abstract

The Emergency Medical Service team are often the first to arrive in situations that later turned out to be crime scenes. Therefore, multiple responsibilities derive from their actions, as there is the burden of assisting the parties involved by maintaining the integrity of forensic evidence while, at the same time, mitigating further harm or risks. The aforementioned, however, often lack any forensic training with the consequent risk of alteration of the area and loss of fundamental information for the purpose of further investigation. The purpose of this study, born from the interdisciplinary collaboration between nursing and forensic sciences, is aimed to guarantee the correct approach by emergency professionals at the Crime Scene; in the light of the data currently available regarding intervention strategies, a Data Collection Sheet was drawn up, whose non-immediate compilation would inevitably lead to the loss of important informations. This is a tool not intended for medical examiners, already trained in this field and equipped with elaborate survey cards, but rather an easy-to-use tool that is the prerogative of "laymen" that can prevent emergency healthcare professionals from losing crucial elements that will then be provided to the investigative bodies and consequently to the consultants or experts. The working method involved the research in Literature of already existing operational tools and a bibliographic review of texts, articles and protocols relating to the topic, as well as surveys carried out at national level via email with EMS Operations Centres about the use of a Crime Scene Report Card.