Study: Level I designation makes a big difference.
A new study indicates that the advantages of transferring patients to a Level I trauma center rather than a Level II center may be even greater than previously thought in terms of mortality rates. A hospital can improve patient outcomes by developing the trauma resources needed to be a Level I facility. Prior studies of trauma outcomes may have underestimated the benefit of developing hospitals with the resources of a Level I center. In some cases, it might make sense to opt for a Level I facility even if it is not as close as a Level II facility.
D003120:Colorado; D017598:Efficiency, Organizational; D017052:Hospital Mortality / Q000639:trends; D006801:Humans; D019982:Organizational Case Studies; D010360:Patient Transfer; D014193:Trauma Centers / Q000145:classification* / Q000458:organization & administration; D015599:Trauma Severity Indices