GIS For Traumatic Transport Improves Care, Saves Money

By Katie Wike, contributing writer

Accurate care transportation decisions can have an effect on quality of care and costs according to research from the University of Cincinnati

When patients are critically ill or have traumatic injuries, getting them to the care they need as quickly and safely as possible is top priority. Now, researchers from the University of Cincinnati say geography research could improve the effectiveness of hospital transportation.

“The research uses analysis by Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technology to provide information on whether patient transport would be more successful by ambulance or medical helicopter in terms of cost as well as patient care. Early results indicate GIS technology is both accurate and successful in providing estimated transport times to trauma centers,” explained the University in an announcement.

Fierce Health IT reports researchers retroactively used GIS to analyze more than 2,000 cases, focusing on the “golden hour” of transportation, a 60-minute window for critical patients. They found in 31 percent of the cases where a helicopter was used, an ambulance could have as effectively delivered the patient to care within the golden hour. They also pointed out this would have saved taxpayers thousands.

“Once a trauma center has decided it needs to accept a patient, the question becomes, how can you most safely get them there? So what GIS, when applied to this medical and clinical decision-making moment allows, is the accurate assessment of the time costs, and we want to take this research into examining how to benefit the patient the most,” says Zac Ginsberg, MD, Maryland Shock Trauma Center. “We must still take into account the severity of the patient, but from this research, we have the answer to a question that has not been able to be answered accurately: From where you are, how long is it going to take to get to the trauma center?”

“As the system becomes more motivated to fly fewer patients – not just for cost but also for safety – we think GIS is going to play a key role. The technology and analytical methods that Michael has developed for this are going to play a key role in policy decisions and allocation of what is an expensive and limited resource,” says Samuel Galvagno Jr., assistant professor, Divisions of Trauma Anesthesiology and Adult Critical Care Medicine, Maryland Shock Trauma Center.

The team presented its research at the annual meeting of the Association of American Geographers (AAG) in Tampa, FL.