Triage Management of Trauma Patients Among Hospitals in The 5th District in Camarines Sur, Philippines
Intervention for Rapid Assessment and Care
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.56741/hesmed.v4i03.945
Keywords:
Emergency Care, Healthcare Systems, Hospital Preparedness, Standardized Protocols, Trauma Patients
Abstract
This study aimed to assess the triage management of trauma patients among hospitals in the 5th District of Camarines Sur, Philippines, focusing on the interventions practiced by triage management team members and the relationship between their profiles and applied strategies. Employing a quantitative descriptive research design, data were collected through a validated questionnaire checklist administered to selected triage personnel. Statistical tools such as percentage technique, weighted mean, and chi-square test were utilized to analyze and interpret the data systematically. The findings revealed that hospitals have begun integrating strategic plans to equip triage personnel with essential knowledge and skills, thereby reducing the risks of overtriage and undertriage. Results also emphasized the importance of adopting standardized protocols and the need for a more comprehensive and evidence-based definition of trauma patients requiring specialized care. Furthermore, the study highlighted the significance of emergency preparedness—particularly during mass casualty incidents—through effective personnel deployment and structured triage systems. The introduction of an intervention-based triage management guide was found to enhance decision-making processes and patient prioritization. Future research is recommended to explore the long-term effectiveness of standardized triage training programs, as well as the development of region-specific protocols that consider local healthcare capacities, infrastructure, and challenges. Continued efforts in triage innovation and training evaluation are essential to advance trauma care practices and improve patient outcomes in diverse healthcare settings.
Downloads
References
World Health Organization, Injury and Violence: The Facts 2014–Updated Global Status Reports, Geneva: WHO, 2018.
World Health Organization, Global Status Report on Road Safety 2018, Geneva: WHO, 2018.
R. Mould-Millman et al., “Emergency medical services systems in low- and middle-income countries: a systematic review,” Prehospital and Disaster Medicine, vol. 32, no. 3, pp. 273–285, 2017.
M. Obermeyer et al., “Emergency care in 59 low- and middle-income countries: a systematic review,” Bulletin of the World Health Organization, vol. 93, no. 8, pp. 577–586, 2016. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2471/BLT.14.148338
R. Mould-Millman et al., “Emergency medical services systems in low- and middle-income countries: a systematic review,” Prehospital and Disaster Medicine, vol. 32, no. 3, pp. 273–285, 2017. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S1049023X17000061
S. M. Burkle Jr., “Triage and the lost art of decoding vital signs: restoring physiologically based triage,” Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness, vol. 13, no. 2, pp. 437–440, 2019.
J. Becker et al., “Trauma systems and patient outcomes: a systematic review,” The Journal of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery, vol. 84, no. 2, pp. 377–383, 2018.
L. C. Wurmb et al., “Structured triage systems in emergency departments: a review,” European Journal of Emergency Medicine, vol. 24, no. 5, pp. 317–323, 2017.
A. S. Tiongson and J. B. Julian, “Emergency triage system among district hospitals in the Philippines,” Ascendens Asia Journal of Multidisciplinary Research, vol. 5, no. 1, 2021.
Philippine Health Research Registry, “Time and motion study of pediatric emergency department throughput at a tertiary hospital in the Philippines,” 2024.
M. A. Mould-Millman et al., “Barriers to emergency care in LMICs,” Lancet Global Health, vol. 7, no. 8, pp. e1001–e1008, 2019.
A. Hinson et al., “Triage and emergency care capacity in low-resource settings,” BMJ Global Health, vol. 4, no. 5, 2019. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjgh-2019-001488
M. A. Mould-Millman et al., “Barriers to emergency care in low- and middle-income countries,” The Lancet Global Health, vol. 7, no. 8, 2019.
Department of Health Philippines, “National Policy on Emergency and Trauma Care,” Manila: DOH, updated frameworks 2019–2023.
M. L. Dayrit et al., “The Philippines health system review,” Health Systems in Transition, vol. 8, no. 2, 2018.
S. C. Wallis and C. Twomey, “Workload and casemix in emergency departments: implications for triage,” Emergency Medicine Journal, vol. 34, no. 7, pp. 468–472, 2017.
K. M. Twomey et al., “The role of triage in emergency department efficiency,” Emergency Medicine Australasia, vol. 31, no. 4, pp. 523–529, 2019.
M. M. AlShammari et al., “Assessment of triage knowledge and skills among emergency nurses,” Journal of Emergency Nursing, vol. 46, no. 4, pp. 503–510, 2020.
J. P. Tran et al., “Emergency department triage accuracy and outcomes: systematic review,” International Journal of Nursing Studies, vol. 120, 2021.
E. Reynolds et al., “Strengthening health systems to provide emergency care,” Disease Control Priorities (3rd ed.), World Bank, 2017. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1596/978-1-4648-0527-1_ch13
M. Frykberg and J. Tepas, “Triage of mass casualties: evolving concepts,” Surgical Clinics of North America, vol. 97, no. 5, pp. 1109–1121, 2017.
A. M. Kahn et al., “Emergency department crowding and the use of triage systems,” The Lancet, vol. 391, no. 10121, pp. 102–110, 2018.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Joyce N. Olea, Jane M. Tagum-Briones, Cyril B. Romero, Carlen Lagyap De Villa

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.










