Teletrauma Use in US Emergency Departments

Area of Science:

• Emergency Medicine
• Health Services Research
• Telehealth

Background:

• Nearly 30 million rural US residents lack access to specialized trauma care.
• Telehealth offers a solution for remote expert consultation, but its application in trauma care (teletrauma) is not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the prevalence, trends, and factors influencing teletrauma adoption in US emergency departments (EDs).

Main Methods:

• A survey study utilizing the National Emergency Department Inventory (NEDI)-USA data from 2016-2020.
• Data collected via mail, email, and telephone surveys from nonfederal, nonspecialty EDs.
• Multivariable logistic regression analyzed factors associated with teletrauma use and adoption.

Main Results:

• In 2020, only 8.4% of surveyed EDs reported teletrauma use, compared to 60.4% using other telehealth services.
• Teletrauma use varied significantly by state, with some reporting 0% and others over 60%.
• Rural location, critical access hospital designation, and basic stroke hospital status were associated with higher teletrauma use and adoption.

Conclusions:

• Teletrauma adoption in US EDs lags behind other telehealth services.
• Significant state-level disparities exist in teletrauma utilization.
• Further research is essential to understand teletrauma's application and overcome implementation barriers.