The Trauma Coordinator in Italy: A National Survey on Knowledge, Attitude, Barriers, and Facilitators to Implementation of the Role

Abstract

Introduction

The management of patients with major trauma is complex and encompasses the entire clinical pathway. The trauma coordinator role has been introduced to enhance communication and coordination. Despite the clinical benefits of trauma coordinators, their implementation in Italy is currently limited.

Methods

We conducted a national online survey from May to July 2023 consisting of 6 sections: (1) the trauma centers, (2) the knowledge of the trauma coordinator, (3a) trauma coordinator characteristics, (3b) characteristics that the trauma coordinator should have, (4) trauma coordinator’s role and duties, (5) trauma coordinator organizational characteristics, and (6) barriers and opportunities. We performed a descriptive statistics and tested the agreement among raters for sections 2 and 6 using Cohen’s or Fleiss’ kappa.

Results

Fifty-five respondents from 26 trauma centers participated in the survey. Sixty percent of respondents indicated that a trauma coordinator exists in their trauma center, but only 31% reported that the trauma coordinator is formally recognized. Most trauma coordinators had experience in critical care (69%), but 45% of respondents noted that no rewards were provided for their function. The barriers to trauma coordinator implementation were the absence of a job description (40%) and a lack of human resources (45%). For opportunities, enhanced communication among providers was the most reported benefit. Full agreement on the knowledge of trauma coordinators was found in only 3 centers.

Conclusion

This survey highlights the need for a more structured integration of trauma coordinators into trauma care teams. Emphasizing clear role descriptions, formal recognition, and appropriate compensation is essential to maximize the impact of trauma coordinators on patient outcomes.