Document Type
Journal Article
Publication Title
Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness
Volume
17
Issue
11
PubMed ID
36891958
Publisher
Cambridge University Press
School
School of Medical and Health Sciences
RAS ID
57895
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.
DOI
10.1017/dmp.2023.41
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
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