Abstract

Background: Emergency departments (EDs) in Saudi Arabia are seeing more patients and facing a shortage of resources. Prioritizing care based on medical urgency requires triage systems. Understanding triage and raising public awareness are key for improving ED effectiveness and patient satisfaction. However, few studies have examined these issues among Saudi citizens, particularly in the Najran area. Objective: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the overall attitudes, degree of awareness, and depth of knowledge regarding the emergency triage system in the Najran population. Despite the significance of triage, little research has been done in Saudi Arabia to determine how the general public views this approach. Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study with analytical components was conducted from February to August 2025 targeting residents of Najran, Saudi Arabia. An online self-administered Arabic questionnaire was filled up by 452 participants. The survey assessed awareness, knowledge, and attitudes toward the ED triage system in addition to demographic data. SPSS version 26.0 was used to analyze the data. Results: The results showed that 58.8% of participants had strong or excellent knowledge of the triage system, and 82.9% had high or very high awareness of it. A strong majority, 88.1%, had positive views on triage and recognized its role in providing fair and efficient emergency care. Age and education were significant predictors of higher awareness, knowledge, and understanding. Knowledge was also found to have a strong positive correlation with both awareness and attitudes. Conclusion: Despite a lack of specific information, most Najran locals support and are aware of the ED triage procedure. To increase public awareness, maximize ED utilization, and improve patient experience, educational programs aimed at demographic groups - especially younger and less educated people, are advised.

Key words: Triage system, emergency department, public awareness, healthcare literacy, Najran, Saudi Arabia.