Assessing Futile Trauma Transfers in Rural Appalachia Following a Regional Health Care System Consolidation

Assessing Futile Trauma Transfers in Rural Appalachia Following a Regional Health Care System Consolidation

This study sought to define and analyze rates of futile trauma transfers (FTTs) after the consolidation of two rural level 1 trauma centers into one. Data was extracted from the regional trauma registry for a period of 5 years (2017-2022) for all trauma patients transferred into our level 1 trauma c...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The American surgeon Vol. 90; no. 7; p. 1922
Main Authors: Everly, Michelle A, Archer, Allen, Heard, Matt, Roche, Keelin, Burns, J Bracken
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: United States 01-07-2024
Subjects:
Adult
Aged
Appalachian Region
Female
Humans
Male
Medical Futility
Middle Aged
Patient Transfer - statistics & numerical data
Registries
Retrospective Studies
Rural Population - statistics & numerical data
Trauma Centers
Wounds and Injuries - mortality
Wounds and Injuries - therapy
Appalachian Region
trauma
critical care
general surgery
trauma acute care
socioeconomic
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Summary:This study sought to define and analyze rates of futile trauma transfers (FTTs) after the consolidation of two rural level 1 trauma centers into one. Data was extracted from the regional trauma registry for a period of 5 years (2017-2022) for all trauma patients transferred into our level 1 trauma center (n = 3369). An FTT was defined as a transfer that (1) received no major interventions and (2) died or was discharged to a hospice facility within 72 hours. Out of the 3369 transfer patients analyzed during the 33-month pre-consolidation and 33-month post-consolidation periods, 34 patients met the criteria of an FTT within the transfer-to-discharge window. The pre-consolidation category contained 12, and the post-consolidation category contained 22. Chi-square analysis indicated no significant difference in FTT rate between categories. Furthermore, the post-consolidation FTT rate of 1.1% remained consistent with the estimated national average of 1.5%.
ISSN:1555-9823
DOI:10.1177/00031348241241719