Knowledge and Skill of Hospital’s Disaster Committee Regarding Triage at Times of Crisis; a Cross-sectional Study

Introduction: At times of disaster, considering the large number of injured patients and limited availability of equipment and service, the injured need to be classified accurately in order to receive the best treatment. The present study was designed aiming to evaluate the knowledge and skill of a hospital’s disaster management team regarding triage at times of disaster. Methods: The present cross-sectional study carried out in 2016 aimed to evaluate the knowledge and skill of the disaster management team in Shahid Rajaei Hospital, Gachsaran, Iran, regarding triage at times of disaster. An anonymous questionnaire designed by researchers was used for gathering data. The questionnaire was filled by a researcher after meeting the disaster team in person and explaining the aims of the study to them. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 22 and descriptive statsistic tests (central tendency and distribution such as frequency, mean, and standard deviation) as well as inferential ones. Results: In total, 140 questionnaires were filled and gathered. Mean age of participants was 36.42 ± 7.9 (50.7% female). Their mean job experience was 9 ± 6.36 years and their mean experience in emergency department or intensive care unit was 3.03 ± 4.54 years. Mean score for knowledge regarding triage was 5.87 ± 2.35 (0-11) and mean score for skill was 3.67 ± 2.56 (0-9). Mean difference of knowledge score for physicians 6.54 ± 2.22, nurses 6.45 ± 2.09, office workers 4.53 ±2.71, maintenance 4.60 ±1.59, and staff of paraclinical units (laboratory, radiology,…) 6 ± 2.12 did not vary significantly (p = 0.08). There was no significant correlation between job experience and knowledge of triage (p = 0.46, r = 0.01) or triage skill (p = 0.91, r = 0.01). Conclusion: Findings of the present study showed that knowledge and skill of the disaster management team in Shahid Rajaei Hospital, Gachsaran, Iran, regarding triage at times of disaster is poor. No significant relationship was found between these factors and demographic factors such as age, sex, job experience, history of doing triage, level of education, and organizational position.