Objective. The development of PTSD after physical trauma is increasingly recognised as a concerning complication in more than one fifth of patients. Early identification of patients who are at higher risk of developing PTSD is imperative to ensure suitable interventions can be implemented. This is achieved by use of screening tools. The aim of this systematic review is to outline the tools which have been utilised and the efficacy of such screens.
Methods. The PRISMA outline was used to guide this review. A total of 8,148 articles were identified through database searches. This was narrowed down to a total of 113 for full text review. A total of 26 studies met criteria for inclusion.
Results. Most studies utilised a questionnaire-styled screening tool. Advantages of this are high rates of sensitivity and specificity, and the screens are expected to take less than 5 minutes to administer. The limitations of such screens include the importance of having healthcare staff available to reliably be able to incorporate such tools into their workload. The EMR tool demonstrates promising sensitivity and specificity comparable to the questionnaire style tools.
Conclusion. Use of screening tools is an efficient use of resources. There are a multitude of screens which have been adapted in several trauma populations, with the PAS, PCL-5 and ITSS demonstrating good sensitivity/ specificity. For comprehensive PTSD screening in trauma patients, integrating both the efficient EMR tools for initial screening and validated self-report questionnaires with robust follow up protocols may offer a more thorough approach to identifying and managing PTSD post-injury.