Pre-hospital Emergency and Legal Challenges in Iran: a Qualitative Study

Background As the first level of people's contact with the healthcare system, the Pre-hospital Emergency Staff )PHES) often encounter patient and companion complaints and legal challenges. Frequent court appearances consume the time of PHES and negatively impact their morale, leading to dissatisfaction and job burnout. This study aims to identify the factors contributing to legal challenges and complaints against PHES. Method A qualitative study was conducted, and the data were collected through a focus group session and semi-structured interviews with 21 Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) and 4 Emergency Medical Services (EMS) managers with at least two years of experience in Pre-hospital Emergency Medical Services (PEMS). The data were analyzed using thematic content analysis. MAXQDA/10 software was also used for data analysis and code extraction. Results The content analysis of the focus group and all interviews extracted four main areas: the nature of the EMS profession, mismanagement in PEMS, legal ambiguities, and other stakeholders' performance. Conclusion To mitigate legal challenges, training employees on legal matters, supporting them in fulfilling their duties, coordinating and collaborating with all stakeholders, and educating the public about pre-hospital emergency procedures are important.