Experts of the Unit of Emergency and Disaster Research of the Department of Medicine of the University of Oviedo have designed the first advanced system for the classification of victims of disasters. The Advanced Triage Outpatient Model (META in Spanish) is a medicalized or advanced protocol. In other words, it is a system that has been specifically designed for the professionals of Medicine. Up until now, qualified healthcare staff employed other basic systems that did not take full advantage of the knowledge of the specialists.

This protocol is the result of a three-year research funded by the MAPFRE Foundation and it is already being tested by some of the Spanish Emergency Services (SAMU). The META significantaly improves the classification of the patients in disasters with multiple victims and is geared towards paying special attention to identifying those patients who may benefit from early evaluation and surgical treatment.

Triage systems, or victim classification systems, are used in situations of events with multiple victims to make a quick evaluation of the extent of the injuries of the patients, and the priority of their treatment and evacuation.

The META incorporates, as one of the most noteworthy advances, a specific training software for the professionals. The application, known as Virtualtriage, is an online educational tool that improves continuing education in triage by the professionals involved in emergency medicine. Virtualtriage has been developed in collaboration with Virtualware and its international debut will take place at the 18th World Congress on Disaster & Emergency Medicine, which starts today, Tuesday, May 28, in Manchester.