Correlations between road crash mortality rate and distance to trauma centers

Abstract

Abstract The assumption that better outcomes are associated with a reduction in time to trauma care is the foundation of emergency medical services and trauma systems. However, previous literatures did not provide clear evidence to directly support the assumption. In this study, the data of Fatality Analysis Reporting System from 2010 to 2015 were adopted to quantify the relationship between the distance to trauma centers and the mortality of patients in fatal crashes. Utilizing the closest facility solver in the Geographic Information System, the distance from crash scene to trauma center was calculated, and the effects of trauma center on patients in fatal crashes and the difference between different levels of trauma center were examined using logistic regression. For all drivers in fatal crashes from 2010 to 2015, the results of logistic regression show that the mortality increased with each additional mile to the trauma center with the odds ratio (OR) of 1.0021 per mile, comparing to an OR of 1.0008 per mile for the passengers in fatal crashes. The Level I, II, and III trauma centers had different effects on the driver mortality with a Chi-square of 1163.8, 468.7, and 112.2 respectively, indicating that the drivers admitted to Level I trauma centers had improved survival rates relative to lower-level trauma centers.