Challenges Affecting Quality Services Delivery from the Perspective of Pre-Hospital Emergency Personnel: A Qualitative Content Analysis

Background & Objectives: The pre-hospital emergency medical service (EMS), serving as the first line of care and treatment for patients and injured individuals, holds paramount importance in the healthcare system. Identifying the challenges and problems facing this system is crucial for its improvement. This study aimed to elucidate the challenges affecting the delivery of quality services from the perspective of pre-hospital EMS personnel in southern Iran. Materials & Methods: This qualitative descriptive study investigated the views of prehospital EMS personnel (N=23) selected through purposive sampling. Data were collected via semi-structured in-depth interviews and analyzed using conventional content analysis methods as described by Graneheim and Lundman Results: The analysis revealed three main themes: organizational challenges (encompassing lack of human resources, equipment shortages, and structural-administrative issues), human resources challenges (including individual characteristics of personnel and staff dissatisfaction), and cultural-social challenges (comprising cultural barriers and environmental-social obstacles). These themes were further divided into seven subthemes. Conclusion: Organizational, human resources, and socio-cultural challenges emerged as the most significant factors affecting the delivery of quality services in Iran’s prehospital EMS system. Policy-makers and administrators can leverage these findings to develop strategies aimed at addressing the challenges impacting the delivery of quality pre-hospital emergency services.