Academic emergency medicine : official journal of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine
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Observational Study
Improved Survival for Rural Trauma Patients Transported by Helicopter to a Verified Trauma Center: A Propensity Score Analysis.
Recent studies using advanced statistical methods to control for confounders have demonstrated an association between helicopter transport (HT) versus ground ambulance transport (GT) in terms of improved survival for adult trauma patients. The aim of this study was to apply a methodologically vigorous approach to determine if HT is associated with a survival benefit for when trauma patients are transported to a verified trauma center in a rural setting. ⋯ In a rural setting, we demonstrated improved survival associated with HT compared to GT for scene transportation of adult trauma patients to a verified Level II trauma center using an advanced methodologic approach, which included adjustment for transport distance. The implication of survival benefit to rural population is discussed. We recommend larger studies with multiple trauma systems need to be repeated using similar study methodology to substantiate our findings.
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Up to 20% of patients seen in public emergency departments (EDs) have already been seen for the same complaint at another ED, but little is known about the origin or impact of these duplicate ED visits. The goals of this investigation were to explore 1) whether patients making a repeat ED visit are self-referred or indirectly referred from the other ED and 2) gather the perspective of affected patients on the health, social, and financial consequences of these duplicate ED visits. ⋯ The majority of patients presenting to a public hospital ED after treatment for the same complaint in another local ED were indirectly referred to the public ED without transferring paperwork or records, incurring duplicate testing and patient anxiety.