Understanding and Addressing the Global Need for Orthopaedic Trauma Care.
➤The burden of musculoskeletal trauma is high worldwide, disproportionately affecting the poor, who have the least access to quality orthopaedic trauma care.➤Orthopaedic trauma care is essential, and must be a priority in the horizontal development of global health systems.➤The education of surgeons, nonphysician clinicians, and ancillary staff in low and middle income countries is central to improving access to and quality of care.➤Volunteer surgical missions from rich countries can sustainably expand and strengthen orthopaedic trauma care only when they serve a local need and build local capacity.➤Innovative business models may help to pay for care of the poor. Examples include reducing costs through process improvements and cross-subsidizing from profitable high-volume activities.➤Resource-poor settings may foster innovations in devices or systems with universal applicability in orthopaedics.
Harvard Combined Orthopaedic Residency Program, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts kagarwal-harding@partners.org.
Kiran J
KJ
Agarwal-Harding
Harvard Combined Orthopaedic Residency Program, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts.
Arvind
A
von Keudell
SIGN Fracture Care International, Richland, Washington.
Lewis G
LG
Zirkle
Program in Global Surgery and Social Change, Harvard Medical School, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts.
John G
JG
Meara
Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts gdyer@partners.org.
George S M
GS
Dyer
D003906:Developing Countries; D014943:Global Health; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006801:Humans; D019637:Orthopedic Procedures / Q000193:education*; D009985:Orthopedics / Q000193:education*; D014947:Wounds and Injuries