Patient experiences of initial trauma care

Area of Science:

• Trauma care
• Patient experience
• Qualitative research

Background:

• Effective initial trauma treatment is crucial for reducing mortality and morbidity.
• Patient experiences of initial trauma management are not well understood.
• The study focuses on the patient perspective of full trauma team assessment at a Level 1 trauma center.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore trauma patients' subjective experiences of initial full trauma team assessment.
• To understand the emotional and physical aspects of trauma care from the patient's viewpoint.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative content analysis of verbatim interview transcripts.
• Interviews conducted with 16 patients who received initial trauma care.
• Study conducted at a Level 1 trauma center in a Swedish University Hospital.

Main Results:

• Patients generally felt safe in a frightening situation during trauma assessment.
• Trauma teams were perceived as professional, organized, and efficient.
• Patients reported emotional responses, physical discomfort, and varied feelings of being prioritized or ignored.

Conclusions:

• Enhancing patient well-being and maintaining open communication are key to improving initial trauma care.
• Trauma teams should focus on the patient's physical and emotional state throughout the assessment process.
• An informative dialogue between the trauma team and patient can positively impact the care experience.