scholarly journals Traffic police officers’ experience of post-crash care to road traffic injury victims: a qualitative study in Tanzania”

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gift G. Lukumay ◽  
Anne H. Outwater ◽  
Dickson A. Mkoka ◽  
Menti L. Ndile ◽  
Britt-Inger Saveman
Keyword(s):  
Police Officers ◽  
Road Traffic ◽  
Qualitative Content Analysis ◽  
First Responders ◽  
Road Traffic Injury ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Major Health Problem ◽  
Traffic Police ◽  
Emergency Medical ◽  
Emergency Care System

Abstract Background Recently, road traffic injuries (RTIs) have become a major health problem affecting health systems in many low- and middle-income countries. Regardless of whether an ambulance is available for evacuation, police officers have been shown to arrive at the crash scene first, becoming, in effect, the first responders to RTI victims. Therefore, the study aimed to explore the experiences of traffic police officers in regard to the provision of care to RTI victims in the prehospital environment, including the role of traffic police upon arriving at the crash scene, the challenges they face, and their opinions about how to improve care to RTI victims. Method The study used a qualitative approach in which data were obtained from 10 individual interviews and three focus group discussions. There were 41 participants, 27 of them were male and 14 were female. About half (48.7%) of the study participants were aged between 30 to 39 years. Qualitative content analysis was used to analyse all the materials. Results Three themes emerged from the analysis. The theme “Maintain safety while saving injured victims’ lives and facilitating access to a health facility” was comprised of safety, sorting, initial help, and assisting access to hospital care. “Overwhelmed working with limited resources and support” included limited care and transport resources, police fatigue, and little or no support. “Improving supportive system and empowering frontline personnel” included the need for an emergency care system, availability of resources and an emergency medical support system, and training for police and drivers regarding victims’ first-aid care, and road safety. Conclusion The study findings characterize an environment in which the police first responders have no knowledge or skills and no equipment and supplies to provide care to RTI victims at the scene before rushing them to definitive care. The results suggest a favorable climate for training and equipping officers so that they can deliver competent postcrash care at the scene while emergency medical services are yet to be established. However, more research will be needed to determine the efficacy of such training and its acceptability in the Tanzanian context.

scholarly journals Traffic Police Officers’ Experience of Post-crash Care to Road Traffic Injury Victims: A Qualitative Study in Tanzania

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gift G. Lukumay ◽  
Dickson A. Mkoka ◽  
Anne H. Outwater ◽  
Menti L. Ndile ◽  
Britt-Inger Saveman
Keyword(s):  
Police Officers ◽  
Road Traffic ◽  
Qualitative Content Analysis ◽  
First Responders ◽  
Road Traffic Injury ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Major Health Problem ◽  
Traffic Police ◽  
Emergency Medical ◽  
Emergency Care System

Abstract Background Recently, road traffic injuries (RTIs) have become a major health problem affecting health systems in many low- and middle-income countries. Regardless of whether an ambulance is available for evacuation, police officers have been shown to arrive at the crash scene first, becoming, in effect, the first responders to RTI victims. Therefore, the study aimed to explore the experiences of traffic police officers in regard to the provision of care to RTI victims in the prehospital environment, including the role of traffic police upon arriving at the crash scene, the challenges they face, and their opinions about how to improve care to RTI victims.Method The study used a qualitative approach in which data were obtained from 10 individual interviews and three focus group discussions. There were 41 participants, 27 of them were male and 14 were female. About half (48.7%) of the study participants were aged between 30 to 39 years. Qualitative content analysis was used to analyse all the materials.Results Three themes emerged from the analysis. The theme “Maintain safety while saving injured victims’ lives and facilitating access to a health facility” was comprised of safety, sorting, initial help, and assisting access to hospital care. “Overwhelmed working with limited resources and support” included limited care and transport resources, police fatigue, and little or no support. “Improving supportive system and empowering frontline personnel” included the need for an emergency care system, availability of resources and an emergency medical support system, and training for police and drivers regarding victims’ first-aid care, and road safety.Conclusion The study findings characterize an environment in which the police first responders have no knowledge or skills and no equipment and supplies to provide care to RTI victims at the scene before rushing them to definitive care. The results suggest a favorable climate for training and equipping officers so that they can deliver competent postcrash care at the scene while emergency medical services are yet to be established. However, more research will be needed to determine the efficacy of such training and its acceptability in the Tanzanian context.

scholarly journals Traffic Police Officers’ Experience of Post-crash Care to Road Traffic Injury Victims: A Qualitative Study in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gift G. Lukumay ◽  
Dickson A. Mkoka ◽  
Anne H. Outwater ◽  
Menti L. Ndile ◽  
Britt-Inger Saveman
Keyword(s):  
Police Officers ◽  
Road Traffic ◽  
Qualitative Content Analysis ◽  
First Responders ◽  
Road Traffic Injury ◽  
Dar Es Salaam ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Major Health Problem ◽  
Traffic Police ◽  
Emergency Medical

Abstract Background Recently, road traffic injuries (RTIs) have become a major health problem affecting health systems in many low- and middle-income countries. Regardless of whether an ambulance is available for evacuation, police officers have been shown to arrive at the crash scene first, becoming, in effect, the first responders to RTI victims. The experiences of traffic police officers who have provided care to RTI victims in the prehospital environment was therefore the focus of the present study. Method The study used a qualitative approach in which data were obtained from 10 in-depth interviews and three focus group discussions. Data were collected in Dar es Salaam Region, Tanzania, in three phases from December 2017 to June 2018 by means of an interview guide designed by the researchers. Qualitative content analysis was used to analyse all the materials. Results Three themes emerged from the analysis. The theme “Maintain safety while saving injured victims’ lives and facilitating access to a health facility” was comprised of safety, sorting, initial help, and assisting access to hospital care. “Overwhelmed working with limited resources and support” included limited care and transport resources, police fatigue, and little or no support. “Improving supportive system and empowering frontline personnel” included the need for an emergency care system, availability of resources and an emergency medical support system, and training for police and drivers regarding victims’ first-aid care, and road safety. Conclusion The study findings characterize an environment in which the police first responders have no knowledge or skills and no equipment and supplies to provide care to RTI victims at the scene before rushing them to definitive care. The results suggest a favorable climate for training and equipping police officers so that they can deliver competent postcrash care at the scene while emergency medical services are yet to be established. However, more research will be needed to determine the efficacy of such training and its acceptability in the Tanzanian context.

scholarly journals Strengthening the Capacity of Emergency Medical Services in Low and Middle Income Countries using Dispatcher-Coordinated Taxis

2020 ◽  
Vol 2674 (9) ◽  
pp. 338-345
Author(s):  
Vipul Mishra ◽  
Richa Ahuja ◽  
N. Nezamuddin ◽  
Geetam Tiwari ◽  
Kavi Bhalla
Keyword(s):  
Response Time ◽  
Emergency Medical Services ◽  
Road Traffic ◽  
International Standards ◽  
Medical Services ◽  
Road Traffic Crash ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Middle Income Countries ◽  
Emergency Medical ◽  
Low And Middle Income

International standards recommend provision of one ambulance for every 50,000 people to fulfill demand for transporting patients to definitive care facilities in low and middle income countries (LMICs). Governments’ consistent attempt to build capacity of emergency medical services (EMS) in LMICs has been financially demanding. This study is an attempt to assess the feasibility of capacity building of existing EMS in Delhi, India by using taxis as an alternative mode of transport for emergency transportation of road traffic crash victims to enable improvement in response time for road traffic crashes where time criticality is deemed important. Performance of the proposed system is evaluated based on response time, coverage and distance. The system models the performance and quantifies the taxi–ambulance configuration for achieving EMS performance within international standards.

Linking Emergency Medical Department and Road Traffic Police Casualty Data: A Tool in Assessing the Burden of Injuries in Less Resourced Countries

2009 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 37-43 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eleni Th. Petridou ◽  
George Yannis ◽  
Agapios Terzidis ◽  
Nick Dessypris ◽  
Evi Germeni ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Road Traffic ◽  
Medical Department ◽  
Traffic Police ◽  
Emergency Medical

Gender and Hazard Perception Skills in Relation to Road Traffic Police Officers

2011 ◽  
Vol 84 (4) ◽  
pp. 333-343 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Scrimgeour ◽  
A. Szymkowiak ◽  
S. Hardie ◽  
K. Scott-Brown
Keyword(s):  
Police Officers ◽  
Road Traffic ◽  
Hazard Perception ◽  
Traffic Police

scholarly journals Impact of a Postcrash First Aid Educational Program on Knowledge, Perceived Skills Confidence, and Skills Utilization Among Traffic Police Officers: A Single-Arm Before-After Intervention Study

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Menti Lastone Ndile ◽  
Gift G. Lukumay ◽  
Karin Bolenius ◽  
Anne H. Outwater ◽  
Britt-Inger Saveman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Police Officers ◽  
Educational Program ◽  
Road Traffic ◽  
Knowledge Score ◽  
Confidence Score ◽  
First Aid ◽  
Nonparametric Tests ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Middle Income Countries ◽  
The Mean

Abstract Background An overwhelming proportion of road traffic deaths and injuries in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) occur in prehospital environments. Lay first responders such as police officers play an important role in providing initial assistance to victims of road traffic injuries either alone or in collaboration with others. The present study evaluated a postcrash first aid (PFA) educational program developed for police officers in Tanzania. Method A 16-hour PFA educational program was conducted in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, for 135 police officers. Participants completed training surveys before, immediately and six months after the training (before, N = 135; immediately after, N = 135; after six months, N = 102). The primary outcome measures were PFA knowledge, perceived skills confidence, and skills utilization. Parametric and nonparametric tests were used to analyse changes in outcome. Results The mean PFA knowledge score increased from 44.73% before training ( SD = 20.70) to 72.92% six months after training ( SD = 18.12), p ˂ .001, N = 102. The mean PFA perceived skills confidence score (measured on a 1–5 Likert scale) increased from 1.96 before training ( SD = 0.74) to 3.78 six months after training ( SD = 0.70), p ˂ .001, N = 102. Following training, application of the recovery position skill ( n = 42, 46%) and application of the bleeding control skill ( n = 45, 49%) were reported by nearly half of the responding officers. Less than a quarter of officers reported applying head and neck immobilization skills ( n = 20, 22%) following training. Conclusion A PFA educational program has shown to improve police officers’ knowledge and perceived skills confidence on provision of first aid. However qualitative research need to be conducted to shed more light regarding reasons for low utilization of trained first aid skills during follow-up.

scholarly journals Impact of a Postcrash First Aid Educational Program on Knowledge, Perceived Skills Confidence, and Skills Utilization Among Traffic Police Officers: A Single-Arm Before-After Intervention Study

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Menti Lastone Ndile ◽  
Gift G. Lukumay ◽  
Karin Bolenius ◽  
Anne H. Outwater ◽  
Britt-Inger Saveman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Police Officers ◽  
Educational Program ◽  
Road Traffic ◽  
Effective Means ◽  
First Responders ◽  
Knowledge Score ◽  
First Aid ◽  
Nonparametric Tests ◽  
Basic Knowledge ◽  
The Mean

Abstract Background An overwhelming proportion of road traffic deaths and injuries in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) occur in prehospital environments. Lay first responders such as police officers play an important role in providing initial assistance to victims of road traffic injuries either alone or in collaboration with others. The present study evaluated a postcrash first aid (PFA) educational program developed for police officers in Tanzania.Method A 16-hour PFA educational program was conducted in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, for 135 police officers. Participants completed training surveys before, immediately and six months after the training (before, N = 135; immediately after, N = 135; after six months, N = 102). The primary outcome measures were PFA knowledge, perceived skills confidence, and skills utilization. Parametric and nonparametric tests were used to analyse changes in outcome.Results The mean PFA knowledge score increased from 44.73% before training ( SD = 20.70) to 72.92% six months after training ( SD = 18.12), p ˂ .001, N = 102. The mean PFA perceived skills confidence score (measured on a 1–5 Likert scale) increased from 1.96 before training ( SD = 0.74) to 3.78 six months after training ( SD = 0.70), p ˂ .001, N = 102. Following training, application of the recovery position skill ( n = 42, 46%) and application of the bleeding control skill ( n = 45, 49%) were reported by nearly half of the responding officers. Less than a quarter of officers reported applying head and neck immobilization skills ( n = 20, 22%) following training.Conclusion A PFA educational program may be an effective means of imparting basic knowledge and skills for prehospital trauma care to lay first responders in contexts where resources are limited. Furthermore, the likelihood of applying such skills can be enhanced by the availability of the necessary resources.

scholarly journals Needs assessment of emergency medical and rescue services in Abuja/Nigeria and environs

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Asaga Mac ◽  
Axel Kroeger ◽  
Philomena Ehi Airiohuodion
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Services ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Road Traffic ◽  
Case Fatality ◽  
Road Traffic Injury ◽  
Observation Time ◽  
Mortality And Morbidity ◽  
Rescue Services ◽  
Emergency Medical ◽  
Low Middle Income Countries

Abstract Background Nigeria is ranked second highest in the rate of road accidents and other emergencies (Deaths, disabilities) among 193 countries of the world. There is therefore the need for analyzing Emergency Medical Rescue Services (EMRS) in the country to identify options for improvement. Method The study was conducted from February, 2016 to March, 2017 in three EMRS organizations (FRSC, NEMA and MAITAMA Hospital) located in Abuja. The structure, resources, process of EMRS activities and outcome (delay times, case fatality as well as victims and service-providers satisfaction with services) were assessed through observation, time measurements and interviews. Results FRSC and NEMA offers (Road Traffic Injury) RTI and Disaster services, the ambulances consist of Intensive Care Unit(ICU) buses, Helicopters, Speed boats, motorbikes and other specialized vehicles. Mortality and morbidity recorded for 2016 was 1.1 and 2% respectively. MAITAMA is a specialist centre that offers general medical services. A total number 1227(88.8%) lives were saved during the observational period by three organizations, 60(4.9%) deaths, 132 (9.6%) disabilities, 793 (57.2%) NCDs and 593(42.8%) RTI. Conclusion Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) cause many deaths and morbidities in the developing world compared to infectious diseases. There is need for total revamping and education of EMRS institutions in Nigeria and Low- Middle Income Countries (LMICs). Abuja and its surroundings suffers from delays in rapid emergency services, lack of adequate awareness, functional ambulances, minimal specialists and inadequate consumables lead to the loss of many lives.

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