Explore pre-hospital emergency challenges in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic: A quality content analysis in the Iranian context

Abstract

Backgroundpre-hospital emergency is a community-oriented system that responds to the medical needs of the injured or patients with acute and emergency illnesses outside of health care facilities until they are transferred to a medical center. This study aimed to explore pre-hospital emergency challenges in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic.Material and methodsThis study was conducted as a qualitative content analysis in Iran. Using the purposive sampling method, data were collected through in-depth individual interviews with 28 prehospital paramedic personnel from November 2020 to November 2021. Graneheim and Lundman's conventional content analysis methods were used to analyze the data and for the trustworthiness of the data, this study used Lincoln and Guba's recommendations.ResultsAfter multiple rounds of analyzing and summarizing the data and taking into consideration similarities and differences, four main categories and 10 subcategories were created based on the results of the data analysis and including (1) Culture and Community. (2) Service delivery (3) Human resources; (4) Medical supplies and equipment.ConclusionAccording to the findings of this study emergency medical system employees are suffering from a range of psychiatric problems as a result of a lack of equipment and job overload, which has a detrimental impact on the quality of pre-hospital emergency care. Therefore, emergency care senior management should develop comprehensive guidelines, provide more equipment and minimize professional challenges to improve the quality and safety of pre-hospital emergency care services.

Lived experience of Iranian pre-hospital medical staff during the COVID-19 pandemic: a descriptive phenomenological study

“…These findings align with a previous studies indicating a surge in demand for ambulance services during the COVID-19 pandemic ( Kinross et al, 2020 ), with increased calls related to COVID-19 cases and a decrease in other emergencies like road accidents ( Lerner et al, 2020 ), which have had a profound impact on their resilience ( Lai et al, 2020 ; Sun et al, 2020 ). The pre-hospital system in Iran has been heavily burdened by the outbreak, with pre-hospital medical staff playing a crucial role in patient management, including screening, primary care, and hospital transfers ( Hadian et al, 2022 ).…”

“…In Iran, the government requested overtime and extended shifts from existing staff to address increased workload. They also recruited recent nursing graduates and medical personnel to fill workforce gaps in pre-hospital emergency care ( Hadian et al, 2022 ). The authors suggest teaching adaptive strategies to enhance the resilience of pre-hospital staff.…”

“…While several international studies have examined the experiences of prehospital medical staff during the COVID-19 pandemic ( Piotrowski et al, 2021 ; Nyashanu et al, 2022 ; Tune et al, 2022 ), limited research exists on the specific challenges faced by Iranian prehospital medical staff during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly during the Delta wave ( Hadian et al, 2022 ; Heidari et al, 2023 ). Hadian et al highlighted the adverse impact of inadequate equipment and job overload on mental health and emergency care quality ( Hadian et al, 2022 ), while Heidari et al identified individual and systemic challenges requiring organizational planning and policy attention ( Heidari et al, 2023 ). However, there is still a noticeable gap and limitations in understanding the lived experiences of Iranian prehospital medical staff within the unique context of their services, especially during the Delta wave.…”

High-risk population and factors of stroke has changed among middle-aged and elderly Chinese—Evidence from 1989 to 2015

“…While numerous studies on the etiologies, risk factors, diagnosis, and management of stroke have been conducted in recent decades, it is still one of the main contributors to the burden of disease worldwide (16). In particularly, China is a country with rapid economic growth in recent years, the lifestyle and living standard of residents have modified.…”

The Relationship between COVID-19 Exposure Risk and Burnout in Prehospital Emergency Medical Technicians

“…12 Another study conducted by Hadian et al showed that prehospital emergency medical personnel caring for the COVID-19 patients are suffering from a range of psychiatric problems. 13 Also, a study in Taiwan showed that prehospital personnel who cared for COVID-19 patients had higher burnout scores. 14 Healthcare providers who directly care for COVID-19 patients often see patients' suffering and dying which could lead to their emotional distress and fatigue.…”