Weaknesses and capacities affecting the Prehospital emergency care for victims of road traffic incidents in the greater Kampala metropolitan area: a cross-sectional study
Abstract Background Pre-hospital emergency care is a vital and integral component of health systems particularly in the resource constrained countries like Uganda. It can help to minimize deaths, injuries, morbidities, disabilities and trauma caused by the road traffic incidents (RTIs). This study i...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2017-10-01
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| Series: | BMC Emergency Medicine |
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| Online Access: | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12873-017-0137-2 |
| _version_ | 1818765581046775808 |
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| author | Joseph Kimuli Balikuddembe Ali Ardalan Davoud Khorasani-Zavareh Amir Nejati Owais Raza |
| author_facet | Joseph Kimuli Balikuddembe Ali Ardalan Davoud Khorasani-Zavareh Amir Nejati Owais Raza |
| author_sort | Joseph Kimuli Balikuddembe |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Pre-hospital emergency care is a vital and integral component of health systems particularly in the resource constrained countries like Uganda. It can help to minimize deaths, injuries, morbidities, disabilities and trauma caused by the road traffic incidents (RTIs). This study identifies the weaknesses and capacities affecting the pre-hospital emergency care for the victims of RTIs in the Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area (GKMA). Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted in the GKMA using a three-part structured questionnaire. Data related to the demographics, nature of RTIs and victims’ pre-hospital experience and existing Emergency Medical Services (EMS) were collected from victims and EMS specialists in 3 hospitals and 5 EMS institutions respectively. Data was descriptively analyzed, and after the principal component analysis was employed to identify the most influential weaknesses and capacities affecting the pre-hospital emergency care for the victims of RTI in the GKMA. Results From 459 RTI victims (74.7% males and 25.3% females) and 23 EMS specialists (91.3% males and 8.7% females) who participated in the study between May and June 2016, 4 and 5 key weaknesses and capacities respectively were identified to affect the pre-hospital emergency care for RTI victims in the GKMA. Although some strengths exist like ambulance facilitation, EMS structuring, coordination and others), the key weaknesses affecting the pre-hospital care for victims were noted to relate to absence of predefined EMS systems particularly in the GKMA and Uganda as a whole. They were identified to involve poor quality first aid treatment; insufficient skills/training of the first responders; inadequate EMS resources; and avoidable delays to respond and transport RTI victims to medical facilities. Conclusions Though some strengths exist, the weaknesses affecting prehospital care for RTI victims primarily emanate from the absence of predefined and well-organized EMS systems in the GKMA and Uganda as a whole. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-18T08:20:22Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-aee27e5fd1c34076b6a5325f888be71c |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1471-227X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-18T08:20:22Z |
| publishDate | 2017-10-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Emergency Medicine |
| spelling | doaj.art-aee27e5fd1c34076b6a5325f888be71c2022-12-21T21:14:45ZengBMCBMC Emergency Medicine1471-227X2017-10-0117111110.1186/s12873-017-0137-2Weaknesses and capacities affecting the Prehospital emergency care for victims of road traffic incidents in the greater Kampala metropolitan area: a cross-sectional studyJoseph Kimuli Balikuddembe0Ali Ardalan1Davoud Khorasani-Zavareh2Amir Nejati3Owais Raza4Department of Disaster Public Health, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical SciencesDepartment of Disaster Public Health, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical SciencesSafety Promotion and Injury Prevention Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical SciencesDepartment of Disaster Public Health, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical SciencesTehran University of Medical Sciences–International CampusAbstract Background Pre-hospital emergency care is a vital and integral component of health systems particularly in the resource constrained countries like Uganda. It can help to minimize deaths, injuries, morbidities, disabilities and trauma caused by the road traffic incidents (RTIs). This study identifies the weaknesses and capacities affecting the pre-hospital emergency care for the victims of RTIs in the Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area (GKMA). Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted in the GKMA using a three-part structured questionnaire. Data related to the demographics, nature of RTIs and victims’ pre-hospital experience and existing Emergency Medical Services (EMS) were collected from victims and EMS specialists in 3 hospitals and 5 EMS institutions respectively. Data was descriptively analyzed, and after the principal component analysis was employed to identify the most influential weaknesses and capacities affecting the pre-hospital emergency care for the victims of RTI in the GKMA. Results From 459 RTI victims (74.7% males and 25.3% females) and 23 EMS specialists (91.3% males and 8.7% females) who participated in the study between May and June 2016, 4 and 5 key weaknesses and capacities respectively were identified to affect the pre-hospital emergency care for RTI victims in the GKMA. Although some strengths exist like ambulance facilitation, EMS structuring, coordination and others), the key weaknesses affecting the pre-hospital care for victims were noted to relate to absence of predefined EMS systems particularly in the GKMA and Uganda as a whole. They were identified to involve poor quality first aid treatment; insufficient skills/training of the first responders; inadequate EMS resources; and avoidable delays to respond and transport RTI victims to medical facilities. Conclusions Though some strengths exist, the weaknesses affecting prehospital care for RTI victims primarily emanate from the absence of predefined and well-organized EMS systems in the GKMA and Uganda as a whole.http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12873-017-0137-2UgandaKampalaRoad traffic incidentsPrehospitalEmergency medical services |
| spellingShingle | Joseph Kimuli Balikuddembe Ali Ardalan Davoud Khorasani-Zavareh Amir Nejati Owais Raza Weaknesses and capacities affecting the Prehospital emergency care for victims of road traffic incidents in the greater Kampala metropolitan area: a cross-sectional study BMC Emergency Medicine Uganda Kampala Road traffic incidents Prehospital Emergency medical services |
| title | Weaknesses and capacities affecting the Prehospital emergency care for victims of road traffic incidents in the greater Kampala metropolitan area: a cross-sectional study |
| title_full | Weaknesses and capacities affecting the Prehospital emergency care for victims of road traffic incidents in the greater Kampala metropolitan area: a cross-sectional study |
| title_fullStr | Weaknesses and capacities affecting the Prehospital emergency care for victims of road traffic incidents in the greater Kampala metropolitan area: a cross-sectional study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Weaknesses and capacities affecting the Prehospital emergency care for victims of road traffic incidents in the greater Kampala metropolitan area: a cross-sectional study |
| title_short | Weaknesses and capacities affecting the Prehospital emergency care for victims of road traffic incidents in the greater Kampala metropolitan area: a cross-sectional study |
| title_sort | weaknesses and capacities affecting the prehospital emergency care for victims of road traffic incidents in the greater kampala metropolitan area a cross sectional study |
| topic | Uganda Kampala Road traffic incidents Prehospital Emergency medical services |
| url | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12873-017-0137-2 |
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