TRIAGE PROCESS IN EMERGENCY DEPARTMENTS: AN INDONESIAN STUDY
ABSTRACT: Triage process has
rapidly developed in some countries in the last three decades in order to
respond to the demand for emergency services by growing population and
emergency health needs. However, this development does not appear to match in
Indonesian hospitals. The triage process in Indonesia remains obscure.
Purpose: This study aimed to describe triage process in Indonesia from a
range of different perspectives.
Methods: The research design of this study was descriptive qualitative
using semistructured interviews of 12 policy makers or persons responsible from
5 different organizations which informed triage practice in Indonesia. The data
were analyzed using a three step content analysis.
Results: The result produced 3 themes. First, four steps of triage
process ranging from receiving to prioritizing were reported as the triaging
procedures in Indonesia which were almost similar to the international
literature except for a re-triage step. Second,primary and secondary triage
processes were also applied in all emergency departments in Indonesia. Last, no
prolonged waiting time in Indonesia could be assumed whether the triage process
was effective and efficient or it was only a quick process of sorting to
rapidly increase the number of patients in the treatment rooms. Out of the
themes, the result also indicated that the involvement of nurses in health
policy development inIndonesia needed support
Conclusion: Triage process in Indonesia still needs improvements.
Patient’s re-triage and evaluating secondary triage should be given more
frameworks in the future. An effective and efficient triage process in
Indonesia will best manage the number of patients in the treatment rooms and
therefore further observational researches on patterns and trends are needed.
Moreover, including the role of nurses as policy makers in the curriculum of
nursing undergraduate and post-graduate degrees would give nurses the evidence
to seek out policy making positions in the future
Author: Nana Rochana, Julia
Morphet, Virginia Plummer
Journal Code: jpkeperawatangg160005