Prehospital Trauma Triage as a Health System Policy Instrument Across Trauma System Maturity Contexts: A Scoping Review Protocol

Trauma remains a leading cause of death globally, with substantial preventable mortality occurring during the prehospital phase. Prehospital trauma triage plays a crucial role in determining access to definitive care and shaping trauma system performance. However, the function of prehospital trauma triage may vary across trauma systems with different levels of maturity. Existing literature often conceptualizes triage as a clinical decision-making process, whereas emerging evidence suggests that triage also functions as a health system policy instrument influencing referral pathways, resource allocation, and system efficiency. Given the heterogeneity of trauma systems globally, a scoping review is appropriate to map the existing literature and identify how prehospital trauma triage functions across different trauma system contexts.