Serious Injury in Metropolitan and Regional Victoria: Exploring Travel to Treatment and Utilisation of Post-Discharge Health Services by Injury Type

Jemma Keeves (), Belinda Gabbe, Sarah Arnup, Christina Ekegren and Ben Beck
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Jemma Keeves: Department of Physiotherapy, Epworth Hospital, Melbourne 3122, Australia
Belinda Gabbe: Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne 3004, Australia
Sarah Arnup: Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne 3004, Australia
Christina Ekegren: Rehabilitation, Ageing and Independent Living Unit, Monash University, Melbourne 3004, Australia
Ben Beck: Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne 3004, Australia

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 21, 1-15

Abstract: This study aimed to describe regional variations in service use and distance travelled to post-discharge health services in the first three years following hospital discharge for people with transport-related orthopaedic, brain, and spinal cord injuries. Using linked data from the Victorian State Trauma Registry (VSTR) and Transport Accident Commission (TAC), we identified 1597 people who had sustained transport-related orthopaedic, brain, or spinal cord injuries between 2006 and 2016 that met the study inclusion criteria. The adjusted odds of GP service use for regional participants were 76% higher than for metropolitan participants in the orthopaedic and traumatic brain injury (TBI) groups. People with spinal cord injury (SCI) living in regional areas had 72% lower adjusted odds of accessing mental health, 76% lower adjusted odds of accessing OT services, and 82% lower adjusted odds of accessing physical therapies compared with people living in major cities. People with a TBI living in regional areas on average travelled significantly further to access all post-discharge health services compared with people with TBI in major cities. For visits to medical services, the median trip distance for regional participants was 76.61 km (95%CI: 16.01–132.21) for orthopaedic injuries, 104.05 km (95% CI: 51.55–182.78) for TBI, and 68.70 km (95%CI: 8.34–139.84) for SCI. Disparities in service use and distance travelled to health services exist between metropolitan Melbourne and regional Victoria following serious injury.

Keywords: serious injury; traumatic brain injury; orthopaedic injury; spinal cord injury; road trauma; access to healthcare; healthcare utilisation; geography (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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