Injury
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Limitations in current data collection systems for patients who experience traumatic injury limit researchers' ability to identify and address disparities in injury and outcomes. We sought to develop and test a patient-centered data-collection system for equity-related data indicators that was acceptable to racially and ethnically diverse patients being treated for traumatic injuries. ⋯ We identified a patient-centered data collection system for health equity measures with racially and ethnically diverse patients who have experienced traumatic injury. This system has the potential to increase data quality and accuracy, which is critical to quality improvement efforts and for researchers seeking to identify groups most impacted by racism and other structural barriers to equitable health outcomes and effective intervention points.
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Prehospital triage and transport protocols are critical components of the trauma systems. Still, there have been limited studies evaluating the performance of trauma protocols in New South Wales, such as the NSW ambulance major Trauma transport protocol (T1). ⋯ Overall, the T1 was associated with low undertriage and high specificity. The protocol may be improved by considering age and the number of trauma protocols activated by paramedics for any given patient.
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National quality data for trauma care in Norway have not previously been reported. We have therefore assessed crude and risk-adjusted 30-day mortality in trauma cases after primary hospital admission on national and regional levels for 36 acute care hospitals and four regional trauma centres. ⋯ Differences in risk-adjusted survival for severe injuries can to a large extent be attributed to whether patients are directly admitted to a trauma centre. This should have implications for planning of transport capacity in remote areas.
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Hospital length of stay (HLOS) after traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a metric of injury severity, resource utilization, and access to services. This study aimed to evaluate socioeconomic and clinical factors associated with prolonged HLOS after TBI. ⋯ Medicaid insurance, moderate/severe TBI, and need for post-acute care were independently associated with prolonged HLOS ≥28 days. Medically-stable inpatients awaiting placement accrue immense daily healthcare costs. At-risk patients should be identified early, receive care transitions resources, and be prioritized for discharge coordination pathways.
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The risk factors for unplanned emergency department (ED) visits and readmission after injury and the impact of these unplanned visits on long-term outcomes are not well understood. We aim to: 1) describe the incidence of and risk factors for injury-related ED visits and unplanned readmissions following injury and, 2) explore the relationship between these unplanned visits and mental and physical health outcomes 6-12 months post-injury. ⋯ Injury-related ED visits and unplanned readmissions are common after hospital discharge following treatment of moderate-severe injury and are associated with worse mental and physical health outcomes.