Paramedics and emergency medical technicians’ perceptions of geriatric trauma care in Saudi Arabia
Abstract Background Saudi ambulance clinicians face unique challenges in providing prehospital care to older trauma patients. Limited geriatric-specific training and complex needs of this population hinder effective management, leading to adverse outcomes. This study explores the perceptions of Saud...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2025-01-01
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| Series: | BMC Emergency Medicine |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12873-024-01167-8 |
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| author | Naif Harthi Steve Goodacre Fiona C. Sampson Meshary Binhotan Abdullah Suhail Alotaibi |
| author_facet | Naif Harthi Steve Goodacre Fiona C. Sampson Meshary Binhotan Abdullah Suhail Alotaibi |
| author_sort | Naif Harthi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Saudi ambulance clinicians face unique challenges in providing prehospital care to older trauma patients. Limited geriatric-specific training and complex needs of this population hinder effective management, leading to adverse outcomes. This study explores the perceptions of Saudi ambulance clinicians regarding geriatric trauma care and identify facilitators and barriers to improved care. Methods A qualitative study was conducted using a purposive sample of Saudi paramedics and ambulance technicians from Riyadh and Makkah using online semi-structured interviews and analysed using the framework method. Results The qualitative study recruited twenty participants and identified that they reported age-related challenges including physiological changes, polypharmacy, and communication difficulties. They all wanted training and guidelines to improve their knowledge. They reported struggling with communication difficulties, inaccurate adverse outcomes predictions, difficult intravenous cannulations, and cultural restrictions affecting care provision for female patients. We identified organisational barriers (e.g. lack of shared patient records and lack of guidelines) and cultural barriers (e.g. barriers to assessing women, attitudes towards older people, and attitudes towards paramedics) that influenced implementation of knowledge. Conclusion Ambulance clinicians in Saudi Arabia want guidelines and training in managing older trauma patients but these need to take into account the organisational and cultural barriers that we identified to facilitate implementing knowledge and changing practice to providing improved care. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-dcf442f12c124e8f87ce9cf32e824f02 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1471-227X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Emergency Medicine |
| spelling | doaj-art-dcf442f12c124e8f87ce9cf32e824f022025-01-12T12:10:35ZengBMCBMC Emergency Medicine1471-227X2025-01-0125111510.1186/s12873-024-01167-8Paramedics and emergency medical technicians’ perceptions of geriatric trauma care in Saudi ArabiaNaif Harthi0Steve Goodacre1Fiona C. Sampson2Meshary Binhotan3Abdullah Suhail Alotaibi4Emergency Medical Services Programme, Department of Nursing, College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Jazan UniversitySheffield Centre for Health and Related Research (SCHARR), University of SheffieldSheffield Centre for Health and Related Research (SCHARR), University of SheffieldEmergency Medical Services Department, King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health SciencesSaudi Red Crescent AuthorityAbstract Background Saudi ambulance clinicians face unique challenges in providing prehospital care to older trauma patients. Limited geriatric-specific training and complex needs of this population hinder effective management, leading to adverse outcomes. This study explores the perceptions of Saudi ambulance clinicians regarding geriatric trauma care and identify facilitators and barriers to improved care. Methods A qualitative study was conducted using a purposive sample of Saudi paramedics and ambulance technicians from Riyadh and Makkah using online semi-structured interviews and analysed using the framework method. Results The qualitative study recruited twenty participants and identified that they reported age-related challenges including physiological changes, polypharmacy, and communication difficulties. They all wanted training and guidelines to improve their knowledge. They reported struggling with communication difficulties, inaccurate adverse outcomes predictions, difficult intravenous cannulations, and cultural restrictions affecting care provision for female patients. We identified organisational barriers (e.g. lack of shared patient records and lack of guidelines) and cultural barriers (e.g. barriers to assessing women, attitudes towards older people, and attitudes towards paramedics) that influenced implementation of knowledge. Conclusion Ambulance clinicians in Saudi Arabia want guidelines and training in managing older trauma patients but these need to take into account the organisational and cultural barriers that we identified to facilitate implementing knowledge and changing practice to providing improved care.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12873-024-01167-8Older patientsTraumaPrehospital carePerceptions |
| spellingShingle | Naif Harthi Steve Goodacre Fiona C. Sampson Meshary Binhotan Abdullah Suhail Alotaibi Paramedics and emergency medical technicians’ perceptions of geriatric trauma care in Saudi Arabia BMC Emergency Medicine Older patients Trauma Prehospital care Perceptions |
| title | Paramedics and emergency medical technicians’ perceptions of geriatric trauma care in Saudi Arabia |
| title_full | Paramedics and emergency medical technicians’ perceptions of geriatric trauma care in Saudi Arabia |
| title_fullStr | Paramedics and emergency medical technicians’ perceptions of geriatric trauma care in Saudi Arabia |
| title_full_unstemmed | Paramedics and emergency medical technicians’ perceptions of geriatric trauma care in Saudi Arabia |
| title_short | Paramedics and emergency medical technicians’ perceptions of geriatric trauma care in Saudi Arabia |
| title_sort | paramedics and emergency medical technicians perceptions of geriatric trauma care in saudi arabia |
| topic | Older patients Trauma Prehospital care Perceptions |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12873-024-01167-8 |
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