title: The Canadian Forces trauma care system.
abstract: According to the Trauma Association of Canada, a trauma system is a preplanned, organized and coordinated injury-control effort in a defined geographic area. An effective trauma system engages in comprehensive injury surveillance and prevention programs; delivers trauma care from the time of injury to recovery; engages in research, training and performance improvement; and establishes linkages with an all-hazards emergency preparedness program. To support Canada's combat mission in Afghanistan, the Canadian Forces (CF) developed a comprehensive trauma system based around its trauma hospital--the Role 3 Multinational Medical Unit (R3MMU) at Kandahar Airfield. This article reviews the essential components of a modern trauma system, outlines the evidence that trauma systems improve care to injury victims and describes how the current CF trauma system was developed.
authors.affiliation: Canadian Forces Health Services, and Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, 2075 Bayview Ave., Toronto, Ontario. homer.tien@sunnybrook.ca
authors.forename: Homer
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tien
mesh_terms: D055826:Afghan Campaign 2001-; D000346:Afghanistan; D002170:Canada; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000592:standards; D006077:Government Agencies / Q000458:organization & administration; D006772:Hospitals, Military / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000592:standards; D006801:Humans; D008889:Military Personnel; D061214:Patient Safety; D058996:Quality Improvement; D014193:Trauma Centers / Q000458:organization & administration*; D014194:Traumatology; D014481:United States; D059030:United States Department of Defense / Q000458:organization & administration
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