An evaluation of on-scene discharge practices of Emergency Care Practitioners in the Western Cape

This dataset supports the thesis titled An evaluation of on-scene discharge practices of Emergency Care Practitioners in the Western Cape. The study explored how registered Emergency Care Practitioners (ECPs) understand, experience and apply on-scene patient discharge within the Western Cape prehospital emergency care context.On-scene patient discharge was defined in this study as the formal clinical assessment and patient information process conducted by an ECP, including discussion of referral to alternative care pathways or re-entry into the healthcare system where required. It did not refer to refusal of hospital transport by the patient.The study used an explanatory sequential mixed-methods design. Phase 1 consisted of a self-administered Microsoft Forms questionnaire completed by registered ECPs practising in the Western Cape. Phase 2 consisted of focus group discussions with selected participants to further explore and explain the quantitative findings.The quantitative survey collected information on participant demographics, professional experience, sector of employment, knowledge of on-scene discharge within the ECP scope of practice, informed consent, documentation practices, education and in-service training preparedness, clinical decision-making, patient safety considerations, system-level influences, and types of patient presentations associated with on-scene discharge.The qualitative component explored participants’ experiences and interpretations of on-scene discharge practice, including decision-making, practitioner confidence, clinical leadership, patient safety, family and community influences, cultural and communication considerations, documentation limitations, medico-legal uncertainty, access to healthcare, and the need for clearer guidelines or decision-support tools.The dataset deposited here contains de-identified participant-level survey data, a quantitative codebook, and de-identified qualitative analysis outputs. The qualitative component is represented by anonymised illustrative quotations, a codebook summary, and the final theme/subtheme structure. Full focus group transcripts are not included in the open dataset to protect participant confidentiality and reduce the risk of indirect identification within a small professional population.Direct identifiers, including email addresses, HPCSA registration numbers and phase-two contact information, have been removed. Potentially identifying free-text responses, contextual details and quotations were removed, generalised or anonymised where necessary to protect participant confidentiality.The data should be interpreted within the context of registered ECPs practising in the Western Cape, South Africa. The findings contribute to the developing evidence base on non-conveyance, low-acuity emergency care, clinical leadership, patient safety, documentation, medico-legal uncertainty and the future implementation of structured on-scene discharge practices in the South African EMS system.