title: The patient flow of wounded marines within a multi-echelon system of care.
abstract: Hospitalization data were extracted for Marines wounded in Vietnam from 1965 to 1969 to examine the echelon flow of treatment care for different types of injuries. The inter-echelon movement of each patient who was hospitalized at an echelon II or III facility was tracked until the treatment was completed or until the patient was moved to a facility in the continental United States. Results showed that approximately half of the admissions to echelon II or III facilities had no further treatment recorded at a higher echelon of care. Almost one-fourth of the patients required treatment at an echelon IV facility, and more than one-third were admitted to an echelon V facility.
authors.affiliation: Medical Information Systems and Operations Research Department, Naval Health Research Center, San Diego, CA 92186-5122, USA.
authors.forename: G J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Walker
authors.forename: C G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Blood
mesh_terms: D003266:Continuity of Patient Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D003953:Diagnosis-Related Groups / Q000145:classification / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008887:Military Medicine / Q000458:organization & administration*; D008889:Military Personnel / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017146:Models, Organizational; D010343:Patient Admission / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010360:Patient Transfer / Q000458:organization & administration*; D014481:United States; D014744:Vietnam; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000145:classification / Q000628:therapy*