Register      Login
Australian Health Review Australian Health Review Society
Journal of the Australian Healthcare & Hospitals Association
RESEARCH ARTICLE

The cost and compensability of trauma patients

Kate Curtis, Cara Dickson, Deborah Black and Thomas Nau

Australian Health Review 33(1) 84 - 92
Published: 2009

Abstract

Injury in Australia was responsible for 400 000 hospitalisations in 2002. This study aimed to examine the direct costs of trauma patients in a Level 1 trauma centre and determine the compensability of those patients. Data on all admitted patients (206) filling trauma criteria were collected prospectively over a 3-month period (November 2006 to January 2007). A 10-question survey was completed on each patient to record mechanism of injury, third party private health insurance or workers compensation, and direct costs were also obtained. 30% of trauma admissions had an injury severity score (ISS)> 15 (n = 62; median ISS =9; range, 1?56). Median length of stay was 3 days (range, 1?126). Almost half (47%) of the patients were involved in road trauma, and 29% in falls. More than half (53.4%) were eligible for compensation (21.8% of patients had full hospital health insurance cover, 21.4% third party insurance and 9.2% workers compensation). The mechanism of injury with the highest median cost per patient was assault, followed by pedal cyclists, pedestrians then motor vehicle collisions.

https://doi.org/10.1071/AH090084

© AHHA 2009

Committee on Publication Ethics

PDF (405 KB) Export Citation

Share

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on LinkedIn Share via Email

View Dimensions