Background Emergency ambulance staff have a strong desire to receive feedback, but the frequency and effects of prehospital feedback have not yet been explored quantitatively in the UK. Surveys on prehospital feedback prevalence have been conducted in the US, but are limited by retrospective data collection and a potential disconnect in recipients recognising that they were being provided with feedback (Cash et al., 2017; McGuire et al., 2021). Our study seeks to overcome these limitations by collecting data in real-time using a diary study design and providing a clear definition of prehospital feedback: ‘the provision of information to emergency ambulance staff regarding their performance within prehospital practice and/or patient outcomes’. The study aim will be to explore the extent, characteristics, mechanisms and effects of prehospital feedback in the UK from the recipients’ point of view and to describe individual differences in the desire for enhanced feedback.

Methods This will be an observational mixed-methods study involving a baseline survey, diary entries and a follow-up survey. The emphasis of data collection is quantitative survey data, which is supported by qualitative open-ended survey items that will be integrated using triangulation. Data analysis will involve logistic regression (baseline survey), multilevel modelling (diary entries) and content analysis (qualitative data). The baseline survey includes questions on demographics, feedback frequency and the Feedback Environment Scale (Steelman et al., 2004). Participants will be asked to complete 10 diary entries for an event where feedback is received and 5 diary entries where feedback is desired but not received. Eligible participants will be NHS ambulance staff delivering face-to-face patient care. Power calculations suggest a sample size of n=325 participants.

Results and Conclusion The findings from this study will demonstrate how feedback characteristics, person and environment variables influence reported feedback effects in the prehospital setting and highlight missed opportunities for feedback.