PATIENTS' AWARENESS OF TRIAGE IN EMERGENCY DEPARTMENTS OF JEDDAH FIRST HEALTH CLUSTER HOSPITALS

An essential aspect of every emergency room's workflow, triage ranks patients in order of severity of illness. Patients must be informed of triage to minimize confusion, irritation, and discontentment as they wait for treatment. The study aimed to assess Patients’ Awareness of Triage in the emergency departments of Jeddah First Health Cluster hospitals. A cross-sectional descriptive design was employed, targeting medically stable adult patients (≥18 years) who visited EDs and consented to participate. Data were collected using a structured, self-administered online questionnaire and supplemented by verbal discussions with participants. A convenience sampling technique was applied, yielding a final sample of 300 patients. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 27, applying descriptive and inferential statistics, including multiple regression analysis. Of the participants, 52% were females, 28% were above 55 years, and 39% were postgraduates, with most (87%) holding Saudi nationality. The majority (80.3%) had visited the ED in the past six months, 54.3% because they were too sick to go elsewhere. About 65% were interested in information about triage, and 54% found verbal explanation by staff most helpful. Overall, 55% demonstrated high awareness of triage, 39% moderate, and 16% low. Regression analysis showed age and education were significant predictors of awareness (p < 0.05). The study found that over half of the participants possessed a high level of awareness of triage procedures, with age and education being identified as significant predictors. These results emphasize the necessity of focused educational initiatives to improve patients' comprehension of triage in emergency departments.