Exploring the concept and structure of obstetric triage: a qualitative content analysis
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RESEARCH ARTICLE
Open Access
Exploring the concept and structure of obstetric triage: a qualitative content analysis Asieh Moudi1, Mina Iravani2* , Mahin Najafian3, Armin Zareiyan4, Arash Forouzan5 and Mojgan Mirghafourvand6
Abstract Background: Obstetric triage is a new idea, so the design and implementation of it requires identification of its concept and structure. The aim of this qualitative study was to explore the concept and structure of the obstetric triage in Iran. Methods: The purposive sampling was done and it continued until reaching the theoretical saturation. Thirty-seven semi-structured interviews were conducted individually and face-to-face. Interviews were audio recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using conventional content analysis. Results: Two themes, 8 main categories, and 16 subcategories emerged from the content analysis of the interviews and observations. The themes were the concept and structure of obstetric triage. The concept of obstetric triage consisted of three categories of nature, process, and philosophy of obstetric triage. The structure of obstetric triage included five categories of assessment criteria, emergency grading, determining the appropriate location for patient guidance, initiation of diagnostic and therapeutic measures, and timeframe for initial assessment and reassessment. Conclusion: Findings highlighted that obstetric triage is a process with a dual and dynamic nature. This process involves clinical decision making to prioritize the pregnant mother and her fetus based on the severity and acuity of the disease in order to allocate medical resources and care for providing appropriate treatment at the right time and place to the right patient. The results of this study could be used for the design and implementation of the obstetric triage system. Keywords: Obstetric triage, Concept, Structure, Qualitative, Conventional content analysis
Background The triage concept has a historical root in military medicine and primarily focuses on mass disaster situations [1, 2]. The first triage was applied by two French military surgeons for sorting wounded soldiers in war during the years 1801–1979 [3]. In the 1950s– 1960s, however, to respond to the problem of population congestion in the emergency department of * Correspondence: [email protected] 2 Midwifery Department, Reproductive Health Promotion Research Center, Nursing and Midwifery School, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran Full list of author information is available at the end of the article
hospitals, triage evolved from military to civil practice in the United States [4, 5]. Triage is widely used to refer to any decision about the allocation of limited medical resources, but Iserson et al. explained three conditions to use the term triage in emergency practice: “1- There is at least a moderate lack of health care resources. 2- A health care professional assesses the medical needs of each patient, based on a precise examination. 3- A triage officer uses a system or schedule, usually
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