Traumadoc in Practice: Understanding providers' experiences and attitudes
Abstract
Aims
Traumadoc is the national decision support tool used in the reception of severely injured patients in Ireland. Evaluation and provider-feedback of Traumadoc is important to ensure frequent use of the proforma, necessary for consistency across the trauma system.
We conducted a national, cross-sectional survey of emergency medicine doctors and nurses across Ireland. This survey was supported and disseminated through the Irish association of emergency medicine (IAEM). The survey consisted of an 11-item questionnaire and collected information regarding user-friendliness and clinical effectiveness of Traumadoc using Likert Scales and open-ended questions.
Results
97 emergency medicine professionals from various hospital groups responded. Majority of respondents (56%, 54/97) used Traumadoc infrequently. While respondents felt Traumadoc was useful in guiding resuscitation and improving documentation, many criticized its usability in a high acuity setting, with 57% (57/97) believing it requires revision and 43% (43/97) preferring a digital version. Common concerns included the document’s lengthiness, time pressure difficulties, and redundancy in documentation. Although respondents appreciated the layout and visual prompts, few felt the document streamlined trauma care.
Discussion
Traumadoc provides a standardized framework for the reception of trauma patients, however, its underutilization due to lack of user-friendly features highlights the need for a revised, more intuitive version.
