Factors impacting readiness to perform secondary population-based triage during the second wave of COVID-19 in Victoria, Australia: Pilot study

Authors/Creators

Zachary B. Horn, Edith Cowan University

Abstract

Objective: Pandemics generate such a significant demand for care that traditional triage methods can become saturated. Secondary population-based triage (S-PBT) overcomes this limitation. Although the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic forced S-PBT into operation internationally during the first year of the pandemic, Australian doctors were spared this responsibility. However, the second wave of COVID-19 provides an opportunity to explore the lived experience of preparing for S-PBT within the Australian context. The aim of this study is to explore the lived experience of preparing to operationalize S-PBT to allocate critical care resources during Australia's second wave of COVID-19 in 2020. Methods: Intensivists and emergency physicians working during the second Victorian COVID-19 surge were recruited by purposive non-random sampling. Semi-structured interviews were hosted remotely, recorded, transcribed, and coded to facilitate a qualitative phenomenological analysis. Results: Six interviews were conducted with an equal mix of intensivists and emergency doctors. Preliminary findings from a thematic analysis revealed 4 themes: (1) threat of resources running; (2) informed decision requiring information; (3) making decisions as we always do; and (4) a great burden to carry. Conclusion: This is the first description of this novel phenomenon within Australia and, in doing so, it identified a lack of preparedness to operationalize S-PBT during the second wave of COVID-19 in Australia.

RAS ID

57895

Document Type

Journal Article

Date of Publication

3-9-2023

Volume

17

Issue

11

PubMed ID

36891958

School

School of Medical and Health Sciences

Creative Commons License

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

Publisher

Cambridge University Press

Comments

Horn, Z. B. (2023). Factors impacting readiness to perform secondary population-based triage during the second wave of COVID-19 in Victoria, Australia: Pilot study. Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness, 17, Article e371. https://doi.org/10.1017/dmp.2023.41

Recommended Citation

Horn, Z. B. (2023). Factors impacting readiness to perform secondary population-based triage during the second wave of COVID-19 in Victoria, Australia: Pilot study. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/dmp.2023.41