Introduction of a mobile device based tertiary survey application reduces missed injuries: A multi-center prospective...

Area of Science:

• Trauma Surgery
• Clinical Informatics
• Patient Safety

Background:

• Missed injuries are a significant cause of morbidity in trauma patients.
• The tertiary survey is a critical head-to-toe examination to identify overlooked injuries.
• Standardizing the tertiary survey is essential for improving patient outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the feasibility of implementing the Physician Assist Trauma Software (PATS) mobile application in clinical practice.
• To evaluate the capacity of PATS to reduce the rate of missed injuries.
• To improve the standardization and documentation of the tertiary survey.

Main Methods:

• A pre- and post-implementation study design was used at two Level I trauma centers (higher- and medium-volume).
• The Physician Assist Trauma Software (PATS) was introduced to standardize tertiary survey performance and documentation.
• Missed injury rates, compliance, and completion rates were tracked and analyzed.

Main Results:

• The missed injury rate decreased from 1% to 0% at the higher-volume center (p=0.04).
• The missed injury rate decreased from 9% to 1% at the medium-volume center (p<0.001).
• Compliance and documentation rates significantly improved at both centers post-implementation.

Conclusions:

• The mobile tertiary survey application (PATS) effectively reduced missed injuries in trauma care.
• Implementation of PATS led to significant improvements in adherence to and documentation of the tertiary survey.
• PATS is a feasible tool for enhancing patient safety in trauma settings.