@article{ref1,
title="Development of a model to quantify the accessibility of a Canadian trauma system",
journal="Canadian journal of emergency medicine",
year="2017",
author="Tansley, Gavin and Schuurman, Nadine and Erdogan, Mete and Bowes, Matthew J. and Green, Robert and Asbridge, Mark and Yanchar, Natalie",
volume="19",
number="4",
pages="285-292",
abstract="OBJECTIVES: Trauma systems have been widely implemented across Canada, but access to trauma care remains a challenge for much of the population. This study aims to develop and validate a model to quantify the accessibility of definitive care within one provincial trauma system and identify populations with poor access to trauma care. <br><br>METHODS: A geographic information system (GIS) was used to generate models of pre-scene and post-scene intervals, respectively. Models were validated using a population-based trauma registry containing data on prehospital time intervals and injury locations for Nova Scotia (NS). Validated models were then applied to describe the population-level accessibility of trauma care for the NS population as well as a cohort of patients injured in motor vehicle collisions (MVCs). <br><br>RESULTS: Predicted post-scene intervals were found to be highly correlated with documented post-scene intervals (β 1.05, p<0.001). Using the model, it was found that 88.1% and 42.7% of the population had access to Level III and Level I trauma care within 60 minutes of prehospital time from their residence, respectively. Access for victims of MVCs was lower, with 84.3% and 29.7% of the cohort having access to Level III and Level I trauma care within 60 minutes of the location of injury, respectively. <br><br>CONCLUSION: GIS models can be used to identify populations with poor access to care and inform service planning in Canada. Although only 43% of the provincial population has access to Level I care within 60 minutes, the majority of the population of NS has access to Level III trauma care.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="1481-8035",
doi="10.1017/cem.2017.9",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/cem.2017.9"
}