Poster presented in the the European Congress of Emergency Medicine, Crete 2006

1. TRIAGE IN MASS CASUALTIES:
THE ROLE OF TEAMWORK
Ir.Christodoulou1, Z. Koukouritaki1, Ch.Pogonidis2
E.Xenodoxidou2 , I. Karoutsou2, M.Handolias1,
E.Papamichael1,G.Christianopoulos1
1. 2nd Surgical Department, Papanikolaou Hospital,
Thessaloniki
2. Sismanoglion Hospital, Komotini,Thrace
ΑΙΜS AND OBJECTIVES: Team work is essential
in cases of emergencies, cancer, geriatrics and
systemic diseases. Our study writes down
problems of team work among health
professionals in Greek Hospitals and General
Doctors in peripheral Health Centers, in mass
casualties.
MATERIALS-METHODS:We used questionnaires
and interviewed health professionals of General
Medicine and subspecialties. We focused on
problematic areas of team work, such as patients
who belong in high risk groups and car accidents.
We asked Hospital doctors and general doctors
from Peripheral Health Centres to concentrate on
problems caused when teamwork is needed. In
total, 195 health professionals were asked.
RESULTS: Team work is thought to be
problematic or adequately held, causing limited
team effectiveness according to the 54%. The co-
ordinator of the medical team is not the family
doctor and it is difficult for one doctor to have the
approval of the team according to the 84% of
asked physicians. In case of a sudden death or
severe complication the team members often do
not have a common strategy (43%) and often
have limited knowledge about medical legislation
(62%), while only 11% feel secure and safe
opposite medical law. The establishment of
teamwork seminars and active psycho modulating
exercises are approved by all asked physicians
and nurses.
CONCLUSIONS-DISCUSSION: Problems in
teamwork are usual in cases that need co-
ordination between different Health Centres.
Stress of health professionals could be eliminated
by seminars teaching behaviour of working in a
team and practicing based in simulation models,
especially for emergencies.