Equal Access Is Quality: an Update on the State of Disparities Research in Trauma

Abstract

Over the past 5 years, disparities in the access to and quality of trauma care have expanded on the relatively nascent body of literature. This review summarizes the newest findings in trauma disparities research, identifying 47 original research articles that either illuminate disparities that had not been previously described or augment our understanding of a known disparity. Furthermore, the current literature on trauma disparities establishes the importance of investigating disparities in pre- and post-hospital quality metrics and refining the approach to quality measurement for trauma care in pediatric and geriatric populations in particular. A new development on the study of trauma disparities is the effort to establish the mechanisms by which racial/ethnic and socioeconomic disparities occur. The authors conclude from this evidence-based review that, as new disparities in trauma care continue to emerge, novel approaches to measuring and eliminating these disparities are needed.