Grant: Team Grant: Strategic Teams in Applied Injury Research - Full application

Severely injured patients have a lower mortality risk if cared for in a trauma centre. Thus survival is dependent on an integrated regional system of care to assure these patients are identified, supported and rapidly transported to a trauma centre. Trauma centres are only located in urban regions, limiting prompt access to the 20% of Canadians living in rural areas. Due to the distribution of trauma patients and centres, 50% of patients receive preliminary care at non-designated centres before transfer to a trauma centre. As trauma system configuration and preliminary care might have significant impact on assuring the "right patient gets to the right place at the right time," we propose the following overarching objectives: I. To assess the relationship between trauma system structure and process II. To optimize the preliminary care of the patient with major injury The findings will influence changes in policy & practice to improve access and quality of trauma care.