Strategies for assessing posthospitalisation outcomes in trauma survivors and their feasibility of implementation: a...

Each year, physical traumas affect over one billion people worldwide, generating a substantial burden in terms of mortality, disability and productivity loss. The period following hospital discharge, encompassing the transition to home, short-term stays in rehabilitation facilities, as well as outpatient and community-based follow-up care, represents a critical phase in the recovery process for trauma injury patients. Yet, this phase remains poorly documented. We aim to (1) Map data on assessment strategies for various outcomes among trauma survivors after hospital discharge, including the tools used and how they are administered, as well as the resources required, and the barriers and facilitators to their implementation, and (2) Compare the feasibility of implementing the assessment strategies while considering response rates, resource use, costs and sustainability.

We will conduct a scoping review using the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology. We will search MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, Scopus and PsycINFO for studies published since 1990 to reflect the evolution of contemporary follow-up practices, including the emergence of Patient-Reported Outcome Measures and digital tools. There will be no language restrictions. We will consider all studies involving trauma survivors, focusing on the evaluation of postdischarge health outcomes. Two independent reviewers will screen studies and extract data on population characteristics, assessment strategies and feasibility. Results will be analysed thematically and presented narratively. We will present counts and percentages for each assessment strategy, along with its characteristics and associated barriers and facilitators. Subgroup analyses will also be conducted based on clinical and social determinants and contextual factors.

Ethics approval is not required for this review. The results of this scoping review will be shared through publication in a peer-reviewed journal, conference presentations and our network of knowledge users.

DOI 10.17605/OSF.IO/KZHS4.