Invoking the "expectant" triage category: Can we make the paradigm shift?

Area of Science:

• Emergency Medicine
• Medical Ethics
• Disaster Preparedness

Background:

• Medical triage prioritizes patient treatment based on condition severity.
• Disaster triage shifts focus to maximizing overall population survival with limited resources.
• The

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of multiprofessional, ethics-based education on healthcare providers' ability to utilize the "expectant" triage category in disaster settings.
• To assess changes in self-perceived comfort and confidence in applying disaster triage principles.

Main Methods:

• Participants engaged in an ethics-based educational session focused on difficult triage decisions.
• Pre- and post-surveys were administered to assess participants' self-perceived abilities and confidence levels.
• The study focused on the application of the "expectant" triage category in simulated disaster scenarios.

Main Results:

• Significant improvements were observed in participants' self-perceived comfort levels when using disaster triage tools.
• Confidence in applying the "expectant" triage category significantly increased post-education.
• The educational intervention positively influenced participants' willingness to adopt revised triage decision-making processes.

Conclusions:

• Ethics-based education enhances healthcare providers' confidence in utilizing the "expectant" triage category during mass casualty incidents.
• Training can facilitate a paradigm shift in pediatric triage decision-making, prioritizing population survival.
• Improved self-perception supports better resource allocation and patient outcomes in disaster medical response.