Grant: Project Grant

Over the past 50 years, the care of people who suffer traumatic injuries has improved significantly. As a result, most individuals who are injured in a car crash, a fall or other circumstances survive their injuries. Hospitals that care for patients with injuries routinely collect data about the care trauma patients receive, with the goal of identifying opportunities for improvement. Unfortunately, data about how patients fare once they are discharged isn't routinely collected. Given that most patients survive hospitalization, understanding what their lives are like once they return home is important information that doctors and patients need to continue to improve care. In this study, we hope to identify the aspects of everyday life after injury that patients think doctors should study in order to improve care. Furthermore, we hope to identify ways that we can collect this information in a safe and efficient manner from all patients after they are discharged, with the hopes of using this information to continue to improve trauma care.