Risk perception among healthcare professionals working in emergency care in remote locations: a scoping review protocol.

Abstract

Providing healthcare in emergency services is a multifaceted challenge that demands prompt approaches. Ensuring safety and efficacy becomes even more challenging in 'remote locations', referring to geographical areas located far from urban centres or densely populated regions, often characterised by insufficient access to services, infrastructure and communication channels. Despite the pivotal role of healthcare professionals' skills and knowledge in risk management in these contexts, academic literature has largely overlooked this aspect. Thus, addressing healthcare professionals' perceptions of risks within remote areas is crucial for informed decision-making and improved service administration. This scoping review protocol adopts the methodology outlined by the Joanna Briggs Institute. The objective is to delineate the current scientific evidence regarding the perception of both direct and indirect risks associated with healthcare practice in remote emergency settings. Employing the Population, Concept, and Context dimensions, inclusion criteria were established for each dimension: Population-nurses or other healthcare professionals with overlapping roles; Concept-perception of risk; Context-remote community or site and emergency care. The search will encompass the Scopus, PubMed, LILACS, Cochrane, CINAHL and Web of Science databases. A specific time frame for the selection of articles was not delimited. Observational, quantitative, qualitative studies and reviews will be eligible for inclusion if they meet the predetermined criteria. Two reviewers will undertake the document review process. Eligible documents may be in English or Portuguese, and only those subjected to peer review will be considered for inclusion. Ethical approval will not be necessary for this study as it entails a scoping review based on previously published evidence. The findings from the scoping review will be disseminated through scientific conferences and published in academic journals.