@article{ref1,
title="Injury, disability and access to care in Rwanda: results of a nationwide cross-sectional population study",
journal="World journal of surgery",
year="2014",
author="Petroze, Robin T. and Joharifard, Shahrzad and Groen, Reinou S. and Niyonkuru, Francine and Ntaganda, Edmond and Kushner, Adam L. and Guterbock, Thomas M. and Kyamanywa, Patrick and Calland, J. Forrest",
volume="39",
number="1",
pages="62-69",
abstract="BACKGROUND: Disparities in access to quality injury care are a growing concern worldwide, with over 90 % of global injury-related morbidity and mortality occurring in low-income countries. We describe the use of a survey tool that evaluates the prevalence of surgical conditions at the population level, with a focus on the burden of traumatic injuries, subsequent disabilities, and barriers to injury care in Rwanda. <br><br>METHODS: The Surgeons OverSeas Assessment of Surgical Need (SOSAS) tool is a cross-sectional, cluster-based population survey designed to measure conditions that may necessitate surgical consultation or intervention. Questions are structured anatomically and designed around a representative spectrum of surgical conditions. Households in Rwanda were sampled using two-stage cluster sampling, and interviews were conducted over a one-month period in 52 villages nationwide, with representation of all 30 administrative districts. Injury-related results were descriptively analyzed and population-weighted by age and gender. <br><br>RESULTS: A total of 1,627 households (3,175 individuals) were sampled; 1,185 lifetime injury-related surgical conditions were reported, with 38 % resulting in some form of perceived disability. Of the population, 27.4 % had ever had a serious injury-related condition, with 2.8 % having an injury-related condition at the time of interview. Over 30 % of household deaths in the previous year may have been surgically treatable, but only 4 % were injury-related. <br><br>CONCLUSIONS: Determining accurate injury and disability burden is crucial to health system planning in low-income countries. SOSAS is a useful survey for determining injury epidemiology at the community level, which can in turn help to plan prevention efforts and optimize provision of care.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0364-2313",
doi="10.1007/s00268-014-2544-9",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00268-014-2544-9"
}