Optimizing care strategies for patients with trauma emergencies: a qualitative study

Background: Optimizing care processes, especially in the emergency trauma departments, is considered an important issue in health care systems. Moreover, exploring strategies with the participation of stakeholders can significantly affect patient outcomes. Objectives: This study was conducted to identify, prioritize and optimize care strategies for trauma and emergency patients in Shiraz, in 2019. Methods: Data using semi-structured interviews, Focus Group Discussions, and executive meetings with managers were collected, and the prioritization matrix was used to optimize strategies. Sampling was done purposefully until data saturation. The collected data were analyzed using qualitative inductive content analysis. Results: 26 necessary corrective and preventive strategies were mentioned. After analyzing the data, various strategies such as rectifying managerial issues of the emergency system, specialized trauma nursing care, enhancing trauma emergency response preparedness, and adoption of a team approach were proposed. Conclusion: The exploration of care strategies using employee participation provides to facilitate the development of care processes, especially in complex spaces such as trauma emergency wards. Therefore, the healthcare authorities such as nurse managers should pay special attention to these strategies. Moreover, nurses should provide more effective care in the trauma emergency departments based on the appropriate and applicable strategies.