Assessing Prehospital Trauma Care Needs and Solutions: Perspectives from the 2024 Pan-American Trauma Society

Aims and background: Higher trauma mortality in low-and middle-income countries (LMICs) compared to high-income countries (HCIs) has been attributed to prehospital care differences.Understanding healthcare workers' perspectives on existing challenges and feasible interventions is crucial for implementing effective, region-specific improvements.We sought to analyze the regional variations in prehospital trauma system perceptions, with particular focus on identifying locally appropriate solutions.Methods: We conducted a multilingual electronic survey of healthcare workers attending the 2024 Panamerican Trauma Society Clinical Congress (PTSCC) Meeting, assessing demographics and prehospital system characteristics.Participants represented Peru, other South American nations, Central America, and the United States.Results: Of the 169 participants (77 Peruvian, 92 non-Peruvian), most were surgeons (59%) specializing in trauma (62%).Survey responses revealed similar perceptions between regions regarding ambulance accessibility, transport frequency, and communication systems (all p > 0.25).Among proposed interventions, public education on yielding to emergency vehicles was rated highest by respondents for both impact (62%) and feasibility (56%).While both Peruvian and non-Peruvian regions supported public education initiatives similarly (p = 0.49), mobile applications for communication were considered significantly less feasible in Peru compared to other nations (39 vs 58%, p = 0.05).Conclusion: Despite perceived regional differences in resources and infrastructure, most aspects of prehospital trauma care face similar challenges across Latin American nations.Public education on yielding to emergency vehicles represents a high-impact, feasible starting point for system improvement.While technological interventions such as mobile applications show promise, their implementation must consider local infrastructure capabilities.Future prehospital trauma system strengthening should adopt a multitiered approach, beginning with high-feasibility public education initiatives and progressing toward comprehensive dispatch systems, ultimately addressing the disproportionate trauma mortality burden in Latin American nations.Clinical significance: This study represents a contribution to the global surgery literature by presenting a comprehensive assessment of current barriers and context-appropriate solutions, essential for advancing effective improvements in prehospital care.