Trauma team leader and early mortality: An interrupted time series analysis

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BackgroundThe trauma team leader (TTL) is a “model” of a specifically dedicated team leader in the emergency department (ED), but its benefits are uncertain. The primary objective was to assess the impact of the TTL on 72-hour mortality. Secondary objectives included 24-hour mortality and admission delays from the ED. MethodsMajor trauma admissions (Injury Severity Score (ISS)≥12) in 3 Canadian Level-1 trauma centres were included from 2003 to 2017. The TTL program was implemented in centre 1 in 2005. An interrupted time series (ITS) analysis was performed. Analyses account for the change in patient case-mix (age, sex, and ISS). The two other centres were used as control in sensitivity analyses ResultsAmong 20,193 recorded trauma admissions, 71.7% (n=14,479) were males. The mean age was 53.5 ± 22.0 years. The median [IQR] ISS was 22 [16–26]. TTL implementation was not associated with a change in the quarterly trends of 72-hour or 24-hour mortality: adjusted estimates with 95% CI were 0.32 [−0.22;0.86] and −0.07 [−0.56;0.41] percentage-point change. Similar results were found for the proportions of patients admitted within 8 hours of ED arrival (0.36 [−1.47;2.18]). Sensitivity analyses using the two other centres as controls yielded similar results. ConclusionTTL implementation was not associated with changes in mortality or admission delays from the ED. Future studies should assess the potential impact of TTL programs on other patient-centred outcomes using different quality of care indicators.