Study Attempts to Attach a Price Tag to Aeromedical Overtriage

This study was a retrospective review of records from the trauma registry at a Level 1 trauma center in Palm Beach County, Fla. The study population was adult patients ( > 18 years old) receiving a trauma alert activation upon arrival to the hospital between 2011 to 2015. Exclusion criteria included nonsurvivable injuries, major burns and those who were dead upon arrival. After exclusion criteria was applied, 4,288 patients were included within the study. The researchers first divided the study group between patients transported by air vs. ground, then performed statistical analyses to determine if there was a difference in patient characteristics and clinical outcomes between the two groups. They next performed analyses of the same characteristics and outcomes after grouping the patients based on the triage criteria used by the trauma center. The triage system has three color categories based upon physiological criteria (red), mechanism (blue) and EMS provider judgement (gray). Within both methods of grouping the patients, the researchers calculated the rates of over-triage, which was defined as patients receiving a trauma alert activation and then either being discharged from the ED to home, admitted to a medical service without having injuries, or admitted to observation for < 48 hours. Lastly, the researchers calculated the financial costs associated with air transport of over-triaged patients.
Source: JEMS Operations - Category: Emergency Medicine Authors: Tags: Columns Operations Source Type: news