Insurance Does Not Affect Adverse Events While Awaiting Surgery for Ankle Trauma in One System

Introduction: Ankle injuries that are not properly cared for can have devastating effects on a patient ’s health and ability to maintain an active lifestyle. Recommended outpatient surgery may be difficult to obtain for many groups of patients, including those without insurance or minority races. Patients who are of low socioeconomic status also have worse outcomes following trauma. The purpose of this study was to examine whether insurance status impacts the number of adverse events that patients face prior to receiving surgical treatment following an emergency department (ED) visit for an acute ankle injury.Methods: We conducted a retrospective chart review at two medical centers within the same healthcare system. The sample included 192 patients presenting to the ED with an unstable ankle injury between October 1, 2015 – May 1, 2018. We used chi-square and t-test analysis to determine differences in rates of adverse events occurring...
Source: Western Journal of Emergency Medicine - Category: Emergency Medicine Source Type: research