TY - JOUR
T1 - Regional variation in travel to health services following transport-related major trauma
AU - Keeves, Jemma
AU - Gabbe, Belinda J.
AU - Ekegren, Christina L.
AU - Fry, Richard
AU - Beck, Ben
N1 - Funding Information:
The VSTR is a Department of Health and Human Services, State Government of Victoria, and Transport Accident Commission funded project. JK was supported by an Epworth Medical Foundation Translational Research Grant and Australian Government Research Training Program Scholarship. CE was supported by a National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia ( NHMRC ) Early Career Fellowship ( 1106633 ). BG was supported by an Australian Research Council Future Fellowship (FT170100048). BB was supported by an Australian Research Council Discovery Early Career Researcher Award Fellowship (DE180100825).
Funding Information:
We thank the Victorian State Trauma Outcome Registry and Monitoring (VSTORM) group for providing VSTR data and Sue McLellan for their assistance with data preparation. We also express our appreciation to the TAC for the provision of data and their assistance in data preparation. The VSTR is a Department of Health and Human Services, State Government of Victoria, and Transport Accident Commission funded project. JK was supported by an Epworth Medical Foundation Translational Research Grant and Australian Government Research Training Program Scholarship. CE was supported by a National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia (NHMRC) Early Career Fellowship (1106633). BG was supported by an Australian Research Council Future Fellowship (FT170100048). BB was supported by an Australian Research Council Discovery Early Career Researcher Award Fellowship (DE180100825).
Publisher Copyright:
© 2021
PY - 2022/5/1
Y1 - 2022/5/1
N2 - Introduction: Post-discharge healthcare needs are complex and persistent for people following major trauma. A number of geographic barriers to accessing healthcare exist, particularly for people in regional areas. The aim of this study was to explore regional variation in the distances travelled to access health services and identify patterns of health service use in the first three years following transport-related major trauma. Methods: This registry-based cohort study used linked data from the Victorian State Trauma Registry (VSTR) and the Transport Accident Commission (TAC). Victorians who sustained major trauma from a transport-related event between January 1 2006 and December 31 2016, with at least three years of follow-up TAC claims data were included in the study. Geospatial mapping of the median distance travelled to medical and allied health services was conducted for each Victorian Local Government Area. Results: In the first three years post-discharge, 4,964 people (75.6%) visited a general practitioner, 5058 (77.0%) saw other medical professionals, 2269 (34.6%) accessed mental health services, 2154 (32.8%) saw an occupational therapist and 4404 (67.0%) attended a physical therapy service. Geospatial mapping revealed that people in regional Local Government Area travelled further distances to access health services. Specific clustering of increased travel distances was observed in regional areas of the far west and north-east of Victoria. The number of people using services declined with each subsequent year beyond hospital discharge. However, the number of trips were consistent over time for those still engaged in services. Conclusions: Distances travelled to access health services vary across geographic regions and may result in an increased travel burden for those in some regional Local Government Area. Understanding gaps in health services by geographic region can assist to improve service availability. Alternate service delivery methods, such as telehealth, may assist to reduce the associated burden of travel for those in regional areas.
AB - Introduction: Post-discharge healthcare needs are complex and persistent for people following major trauma. A number of geographic barriers to accessing healthcare exist, particularly for people in regional areas. The aim of this study was to explore regional variation in the distances travelled to access health services and identify patterns of health service use in the first three years following transport-related major trauma. Methods: This registry-based cohort study used linked data from the Victorian State Trauma Registry (VSTR) and the Transport Accident Commission (TAC). Victorians who sustained major trauma from a transport-related event between January 1 2006 and December 31 2016, with at least three years of follow-up TAC claims data were included in the study. Geospatial mapping of the median distance travelled to medical and allied health services was conducted for each Victorian Local Government Area. Results: In the first three years post-discharge, 4,964 people (75.6%) visited a general practitioner, 5058 (77.0%) saw other medical professionals, 2269 (34.6%) accessed mental health services, 2154 (32.8%) saw an occupational therapist and 4404 (67.0%) attended a physical therapy service. Geospatial mapping revealed that people in regional Local Government Area travelled further distances to access health services. Specific clustering of increased travel distances was observed in regional areas of the far west and north-east of Victoria. The number of people using services declined with each subsequent year beyond hospital discharge. However, the number of trips were consistent over time for those still engaged in services. Conclusions: Distances travelled to access health services vary across geographic regions and may result in an increased travel burden for those in some regional Local Government Area. Understanding gaps in health services by geographic region can assist to improve service availability. Alternate service delivery methods, such as telehealth, may assist to reduce the associated burden of travel for those in regional areas.
KW - Access to health services
KW - Health service delivery
KW - Rural health
KW - Transport injuries
KW - Trauma
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85122042794&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.injury.2021.12.011
DO - 10.1016/j.injury.2021.12.011
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85122042794
VL - 53
SP - 1707
EP - 1715
JO - Injury
JF - Injury
SN - 0020-1383
IS - 5
ER -