Abstract
BackgroundTriage system is a sorting system that categorizes patients on the basis of the severity of their condition and the availability of the resources in the emergency department. There has been little attention in the public literature to triage systems in Sudan. The aim of this study was to explore the triage system and identify the barriers in its application in hospitals in Sudan.MethodsA cross-sectional hospital based study was conducted at eight hospitals in Khartoum during December 2020. A multi-stage cluster sampling was applied. Data were obtained by interviewing emergency department staff using a structured questionnaire. The data were analyzed using statistical package for social sciences to find the association between various variables by chi-square test.ResultsMost of the respondents stated that the triage system was deficient. Most of the participants of this study agreed that the role played by the administration in taking legislative decisions is crucial in improving the triage system. Among the factors found to be significant to a well-functioning triage system were, the need for substantial capital expenditure, p-value: 0.026, prudent legislative decisions, p-value: 0.026, adequate training of staff on means of performing efficient triaging, p-value: 0.007 and raising the awareness of the staff on the correct application of triage guidelines, p-value: 0.017.ConclusionCurrently there is no formal triage system in the State of Khartoum and has yet to be established. Policy making by administrators will play an important role in its implementation. It is suggested that prompt executive orders on improving the current triage system in Khartoum, should be carried out sooner than later, as the ripple effects of a well-functioning triage will decrease the average length of stay, mortality and morbidity rates and will eventually increase the patient’s satisfaction.
Highlights
Triage system is a sorting system that categorizes patients on the basis of the severity of their condition and the availability of the resources in the emergency department
The seminal work of FitzGerald impacted the development of triage scales in some countries in the 1990s and 2000s being designed as 5-level scales, of these, the Australian Triage Scale, Canadian Emergency Department Triage and Acuity Scale, Manchester Triage Scale, and Emergency Severity Index have had the greatest influence on modern ED triage [5,6,7,8]
ED triage system assessment Out of the 185 participants, 57% acknowledged the presence of a triage system at their respective hospitals; of those only 50% perceived it as being efficient and effective
Summary
Triage system is a sorting system that categorizes patients on the basis of the severity of their condition and the availability of the resources in the emergency department. Triage system is a sorting system that categorizes patients on the basis of the severity of their condition and the availability of the resources in the department; this guarantees that the quality and level of treatment. The seminal work of FitzGerald impacted the development of triage scales in some countries in the 1990s and 2000s being designed as 5-level scales, of these, the Australian Triage Scale, Canadian Emergency Department Triage and Acuity Scale, Manchester Triage Scale, and Emergency Severity Index have had the greatest influence on modern ED triage [5,6,7,8]. In most LMICs, where demand for emergency treatment far outstrips the material and human resources available, initial triage and emergency care provision are poorly handled. It is critical that EDs have, depending on the urgency of their situation, frameworks for prioritizing patients [9,10,11]
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