The Impact of Disparities in Pediatric Trauma on Injury-Prevention Initiatives

Abstract

Objective: To develop an assessment and reporting tool for a trauma center's community partnership strategy to deliver injury prevention programs in a large metropolitan area. Method:The tool was designed to track prevention activity and serve as a reporting format for the parent health system, county designating agency, and the American College of Surgeons' Trauma Center Verification Process. The tool collected data including trauma center paid and volunteer personnel time, equipment, resource, and financial costs, community group and public agency contributions, number of community members receiving prevention material or presentations, impact on public policy, and print and broadcast media coverage. These measurements were incorporated in a reporting grid format. Six youth injury prevention programs were evaluated over a recent 2-year interval to demonstrate the tool's usefulness. Results: Of six programs, three focused on motor vehicle injuries, one on teen suicide, one on firearm injuries, and one on drug and alcohol abuse. Trauma Center personnel asset allocation included 3% full-time equivalent by the Trauma Medical Director, 30% by the Injury Prevention and Community Outreach Coordinator, and 473 person hours (both work and volunteer) by physicians, nurses, and other personnel. Trauma Center equipment and fixed asset expenses totaled $3,950 and monetary contribution totaled $4,430. Community groups and public agencies contributed 20,400 person hours with estimated in-kind costs exceeding $750,000. Five of the six programs continued during the 2-year period. A gun-lock giveaway program was suspended because of a product recall.A total of over 29,000 youth received prevention material and presentations. Four public policy initiatives and 18 Trauma Center media stories with over 50 mentions and 37 new community partnerships resulted. The reports generated were easily incorporated in the trauma center's reports to local and national organizations and agencies.

Disparities in child abuse mortality are not explained by injury severity

“…This has led the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to identify the elimination of health disparities as a goal of its Healthy People 2010 initiative and the Institute of Medicine to highlight health disparities in their report on unequal treatment [1,2]. Although there have been significant reductions in injury rates over the last 20 years [3], injury not only remains the leading cause of death among children but also has a significant race-related disparities [4]. Injury rates for African American children are 6 to 8 times higher than for white children depending on the injury mechanism [5].…”

Prevalence and ethnic/racial disparities in the distribution of pediatric injuries in South Florida: implications for the development of community prevention programs

“…Hispanics have been shown to have worse outcomes in both insured and uninsured groups. (Bernard et al 2007; Fallat et al 2006; Haider et al 2008) Our study results that Hispanics were at higher risks of suffering falls, motor vehicle and motorbike injuries, but overall mortality rate was lower than for Whites and Black/AA.…”

Pattern of paediatric trauma in Sokoto, North West Nigeria

“…Some other risk factors for paediatric trauma include poverty, frequent family household moves, household crowding, child aggression, impulsiveness, and hyperactivity; poor maternal mental/physical health, marital discord and child abuse/neglect. [8,15] The pattern of injuries seen correlated with the causes as most injuries seen in the older paediatric ages were laceration and extremities injury while burns was common in the under five years as they are unlikely to be aware of the dangers of fire.…”