TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2019//
TI  - Traumatic injury and access to care in rural areas: leveraging linked data and geographic information systems for planning and advocacy
JO  - Rural and remote health
A1  - Yuma, Paula
A1  - Orsi, Rebecca
A1  - Dunn, Julie A.
A1  - Kenyon, Victoria
A1  - Tulanowski, Elizabeth
A1  - Stallones, Lorann
SP  - e5089
EP  - e5089
VL  - 19
IS  - 3
N2  - INTRODUCTION: The purpose of this ecological study was to apply Geographic Information System (GIS) methods to patterns of traumatic injury and access to trauma care to facilitate system planning and advocacy. <br><br>METHODS: Four US state (Colorado) and national data sources were linked to examine county-level disparities. Average ambulance drive times to trauma centers for populated places in each county were estimated and mapped. <br><br>RESULTS: Independent samples t-tests demonstrated Colorado's rural counties had significantly higher injury hospitalization rates (mean (M)=685.4 v M=566.3; p=0.005)) and fatality rates (M=93.8 v M=71.6, p<0.001), indicating residents with the least access to care are the most impacted by the burden of injury; this finding was supported by GIS analyses of drive times to level I and II trauma centers and underlying injury rates, which are visually displayed. <br><br>CONCLUSIONS: These methods are useful tools for rural public health professionals to conduct system optimization, identify training and resource needs, assess prevention priorities, and advocate for trauma system support.<p />  <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 1445-6354
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.22605/RRH5089
ID  - ref1
ER  -