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. 2018 Dec 1;40(4):848-857.
doi: 10.1093/pubmed/fdx156.

Adult and elderly population access to trauma centers: an ecological analysis evaluating the relationship between injury-related mortality and geographic proximity in the United States in 2010

B K Dodson  1 , M Braswell  2 , A P David  3 , J S Young  4 , L M Riccio  5 , Y Kim  4 , J F Calland  4
Affiliations

Adult and elderly population access to trauma centers: an ecological analysis evaluating the relationship between injury-related mortality and geographic proximity in the United States in 2010

B K Dodson et al. J Public Health (Oxf). .

Abstract

Background: Ongoing development and expansion of trauma centers in the United States necessitates empirical analysis of the effect of investment in such resources on population-level health outcomes.

Methods: Multiple linear regressions were performed to predict state-level trauma-related mortality among adults and the elderly across 50 US states in 2010. The number of trauma centers per capita in each state and the percentage of each state's population living within 45-min of a trauma center served as the key independent variables and injury-related mortality served as the dependent variable. All analyses were stratified by age (adult versus elderly; elderly ≥ 65 years old) and were performed in SPSS.

Results: The proportion of a population with geographic proximity to a trauma center demonstrates a consistent inverse linear relationship to injury-related mortality. The relationship reliably retains its significance in models including demographic covariates. Interestingly, access to Levels I and II trauma centers demonstrates a stronger correlation with mortality than was observed with Level III centers.

Conclusion: Trauma center access is associated with reduced trauma-related mortality among both adults and the elderly as measured by state reported mortality rates. Ongoing efforts to designate and verify new trauma centers, particularly in poorly-served 'trauma deserts', could lead to lower mortality for large populations.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Scatterplots for adult. (a) total population proximity to Level I (2010) and adult injury-related mortality (2010); (b) total population proximity to Level I or II (2010) and adult analyses injury-related mortality (2010); and (c) total population proximity to Level I, II, or III (2010) and adult injury-related mortality (2010). (Larger Circles indicate more populous states.)
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Scatterplots for elderly analyses. (a) Senior proximity to Level I (2010) and elderly injury-related mortality (2010); (b) proximity Level I or II (2010) and elderly injury-related mortality (2010); (c) proximity to Level I, II, or III (2010) and elderly injury-related mortality (2010); and (d) Level III trauma centers per capita (2008) and elderly injury-related mortality (2010).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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