Knowledge, practice, and associated factors of triage among medical students volunteering in the emergency department during Hajj season: a crosssectional study

<p><strong>Background:</strong> Hajj in Makkah is a major mass gathering posing healthcare challenges. Emergency departments (EDs) rely on medical student volunteers during this season. This study assessed triage knowledge and associated factors among medical students volunteering in EDs during the Hajj.</p> <p><strong>Methods:</strong> We conducted a descriptive cross-sectional survey among 600 medical students who volunteered. Data were collected using a structured online questionnaire that assessed knowledge across five domains: principles and ethics, clinical application, standardized systems, color coding and acuity classification, and operational preparedness. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 28 and descriptive statistics, independent samples t-tests, one-way ANOVA, and chi-square tests. A p-value &lt; .05 indicated statistical significance.</p> <p><strong>Results:</strong> The mean overall awareness score percentage was 65.6%, and 83.2% of participants demonstrated good overall knowledge. The highest mean score was observed in color coding and acuity classification (78.4%), followed by operational preparedness (71.6%) and standardized systems (67.3%). Lower scores were noted in principles and ethics (59.2%) and clinical application and decision-making (47.9%). Academic phase was significantly associated with overall awareness (p = .049), where preclinical students demonstrated a higher awareness level compared to clinical students (87.2% vs. 80.5%) and medical school affiliation showed significant differences across several domains (p &lt; .05). Gender, age, and nationality were not significantly associated with overall awareness.</p> <p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The medical student volunteers demonstrated strong practical knowledge of triage systems but showed gaps in ethical principles and clinical decision-making. Standardized, competency-based triage training integrated across medical curricula is recommended</p>