Assessing trauma patients boosts efficiency.
By scoring trauma patients before they arrive in the ED, a Maine ED reports improved care, fewer problems with on-call physicians, and more efficient use of hospital resources. On-call surgeons previously were contacted for all trauma cases, but now they are contacted only if scores indicated this is necessary. Only a small percentage of trauma patients actually need a surgeon immediately. The trauma team is called in before the patient arrives if scores show it is needed, but otherwise, the team is not mobilized.
D017598:Efficiency, Organizational; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D008281:Maine; D015599:Trauma Severity Indices; D014218:Triage / Q000379:methods*; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000145:classification*