R. Muehling1, M. R. Goede1, J. I. Summers1, P. J. Schenarts1 1University Of Nebraska College Of Medicine,Department Of Surgery,Omaha, NE, USA
Introduction: Management of trauma patients in both the pre-hospital and rural hospital setting has been studied extensively. However, studies evaluating follow-up care by rural primary care providers are nonexistent. This study aims to answer questions regarding the availability of follow-up and comfort level in rural providers managing discharged trauma patients in the rural setting in Nebraska.
Methods: The survey was sent to providers in rural Nebraska, which were obtained via the University of Nebraska Medical Center Health Professions Tracking Service. The survey inquired about individual communities and general, orthopedic, and neurosurgeon access, followed by a Likert scale assessing providers’ comfort level treating various trauma conditions.
Results: The table illustrates the results of the survey, which had a 4.51% response rate. 51.95% of rural hospitals transfer over half of trauma patients, even with surgeon access in the community. 74.71%, 80.46% and 39.08% of communities report general, orthopedic and neurosurgeon access, respectively. In follow-up, the results demonstrate overall comfort in treating patients after discharge from a trauma center by primary care providers. Write-in responses mention that continued medical education and communication of discharge plans were important to improve post-discharge care.
Conclusion: The majority of primary care providers polled are comfortable in handling follow-up care of trauma patients, with the exception being chest, spine, and traumatic brain injuries. Trauma surgeons can assist providers by supplying educational opportunities and improving communication at discharge between trauma centers and the rural provider. Future efforts are to survey trauma surgeons in urban areas to determine how comfortable they believe rural providers are with follow-up care to compare perceptions with reality.
