The Use of Home Location to Proxy Injury Location and Implications for Regionalized Trauma System Planning

• DOI: 10.1097/ta.0b013e31821b0ce9
• Publication Date: 2011-05-25T08:03:36Z
• Authors: Sage R. Myers; Charles C. Branas; Michael J. Kallan; Douglas J. Wiebe; Michael L. Nance; Brendan G. Carr
• Keywords: Proxy (statistics); Concordance

Trauma system planners use patient home address as a proxy for injury location, although this has not been validated. We sought to determine the precision of by evaluating relationship between location death and residence.This national descriptive analysis used Multiple Cause Death data files from 1999 2006 proportion subjects in which county residence (RC) matched all US deaths. Subgroup analyses were completed age intentionality using two sample tests proportions. χ(2) evaluate differences concordance over time size RC.Analysis included 3,141 counties 1,255,881 subjects. A total 73.4% died RC 87.7% or contiguous county. Intentional deaths more likely than unintentional happen within decedent's (85.1% vs. 68.1%, p < 0.001) (93.4% 85.2%, 0.001). Adult pediatric (73.6% 68.4%, (87.9% 84.2%, Subjects larger die (same 0.001, same adjacent 0.001).The preponderance fatal occur close home. This supports practice trauma system's planning available administrative location.