Assessing the impact of care pathways on potentially preventable complications and costs for spinal trauma patients: protocol for a data linkage study using cohort study and administrative data.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

Traumatic spinal cord injuries have significant consequences both for the injured individual and the healthcare system, usually resulting in lifelong disability. Evidence has shown that timely medical and surgical interventions can lead to better patient outcomes with implicit cost savings. Potentially preventable secondary complications are therefore indicators of the effectiveness of acute care following traumatic injury. The extent to which policy and clinical variation within the healthcare service impact on outcomes and acute care costs for patients with traumatic spinal cord injury (TSCI) in Australia is not well described.

Methods and analysis

A comprehensive data set will be formed using record linkage to combine patient health and administrative records

SUBMITTER: Vaikuntam BP 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6231591 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature