Post-Crash First Response by Traffic Police in Nepal: A Feasibility Study

Autor: Gary Smart, Amrit Banstola, Raju Raut, Krishna Ghimire, Julie Mytton, Elisha Joshi, Sunil Joshi
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2022
Předmět:
Zdroj: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health; Volume 19; Issue 14; Pages: 8481
ISSN: 1660-4601
1661-7827
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19148481
Popis: Data Availability Statement: The data presented in this study are available on reasonable request from the corresponding author. The data are not publicly available due to retaining the anonymity of participants. Copyright © 2022 by the authors. Background: Road traffic injuries are a significant and increasing public health burden in Nepal, but there is no national coverage of regulated and standardized emergency medical service systems. Therefore, this study was designed to develop a first responder trauma training program for the Nepal traffic police and to evaluate the feasibility of its delivery and follow up. Methods: A training needs assessment with traffic-police officers in a single district of Nepal informed the development of a 3-day first-response course which was provided to officers in May 2019. Participants were supplied with a trauma-pack and asked to complete a report form when first-responder skills were used. Knowledge and confidence face-to-face surveys were used before and after training to assess learning, and were repeated at 6 months to assess retention of knowledge. The surveys at 6 months assessed the factors affecting application of first response skills. Results: Most (97%) participants believed giving first-aid was part of their responsibilities and 95% had experience of transporting road crash victims to hospital with a range of injuries. Low levels of first-aid training and variable course content were reported. Knowledge and confidence scores improved post-intervention but were reduced at 6-months. During attendance at 303 road crashes in the 6-months follow-up period, 44% of the participants self-reported using at least one skill from the course; applying them on 92 occasions. Incident report-forms were frequently not completed. Barriers to providing treatment included: the patient already en-route to hospital when police arrived at scene; resistance to providing care from relatives or bystanders; and competing police duties (e.g., traffic management). Conclusions: Delivering a first-response training program for traffic-police in Nepal is feasible. Knowledge was retained and used, and skills were in frequent demand. A study of effectiveness and cost-effectiveness appears warranted to determine if extending the training to other districts can improve outcomes in road traffic injury patients in the absence of formal emergency medical services. This research was commissioned by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Global Health Research Programme (Award ID: 16/137/49) using UK aid from the UK Government. The views expressed in this publication are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the NIHR or the Department of Health and Social Care.
Databáze: OpenAIRE
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