Women had a decreased likelihood of receiving care in a trauma center following severe injury, according to recent study results presented at the American Thoracic Society International Conference.
The retrospective cohort study included 98,871 patients with severe injury admitted to an acute care hospital in Canada between April 1, 2002, and March 31, 2010. Researchers used multivariable analyses to compare trauma center access for severely injured women vs. men; after controlling for demographic, clinical and socioeconomic variables, severely injured women were less likely to be treated in a trauma center than men.
Study results showed that 49.6% of severely injured women received care in a trauma center compared with 63.2% of men. Additionally, only 37.5% of older women received care in a trauma center compared with 49.6% of older men.
“Gender-based disparities in access to health care services in general have been recognized for some time and evidence is emerging that these disparities extend to the treatment of severe injuries in trauma centers,” Andrea Hill, MSc, PhD, a post-doctorial fellow at Sunnybrook Health Science Centre and the University of Toronto in Ontario, Canada, stated in a news release.
“Our study provides yet more evidence of important gender difference in access to trauma center care for people with severe injuries,” Hill said. “Future research should focus on the factors underlying these differences and on the effects of these disparities on patient outcomes.”
For more information:
Hill A. Access to trauma centre care following severe injury: are women at a disadvantage? Presented at: American Thoracic Society International Conference; May 17-22; Philadelphia.
Disclosure: Hill has no relevant financial disclosures.
