Between paradigms: Comparing patient and parent experiences of injured adolescents treated at pediatric or adult trauma centres

ABSTRACT

Background: Injured adolescents may go to pediatric (PTC) or adult (ATC) trauma centres. Although there appears to be little difference in mortality when adolescents are managed in PTCs versus ATCs, evidence suggests differences in clinical processes (e.g., computed tomographic scanning, operative intervention). Moreover, there is little information on nonclinical outcome variation. We aimed to examine differences in nonclinical outcomes of injured adolescents admitted to the lead PTC or ATC within a regional Canadian trauma system. Method(s) After injury-related hospital admission at the PTC or ATC, adolescents (15-17 yr, inclusive) and parents completed the following the Quality of Trauma Acute Care Patient-Reported (or Parent- Reported) Experience Measure (QTAC-PREM), examining clinical care, information delivery, education and social supports, and opioid exposure;the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory;and the Brief Symptom Inventory, a psychological distress measure. Data were collected on clinical outcomes and processes. Descriptive bivariate analyses compared outcomes by trauma centre type. Result(s) Twenty-six ATC and 32 PTC patients have been enrolled to date. Survey response rates were 69% (patients) and 75% (parents) at the PTC and 58% (patients) and 54% (parents) at the ATC. There was a similar age and sex distribution between the 2 centres. Injury severity was higher at the ATC, reflected by greater mean lengths of stay (PTC 2.3 d [standard deviation (SD) 2.1 d], ATC 13.3 d [SD 23.7 d]), and lower mean Glasgow Coma Scale scores (PTC 15.0, ATC 13.8) at the ATC. There were also 3 critical care admissions at the ATC and none at the PTC among recruited patients. No differences were observed in patient- or parent-reported clinical care and follow-up experiences. There was also no difference in patient- or parent-reported social and educational support, although subscales were limited by visitor restrictions because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the majority of injuries occurring during summer months when students were out of school. Parents at the ATC reported fewer opportunities to stay with or near their child compared with those at the PTC (100% v. 69.2%). Parents reported better information provision at the PTC (mean 17.3 [SD 1.3] v. 13.9 [SD 5.2], out of 18 as measured by the QTAC-PREM). Patients and parents were more likely to report receiving opioid prescriptions on discharge at the ATC (55.6% v. 14.3%). There was no difference in quality of life or psychological distress between the PTC and ATC. Conclusion(s) Injured adolescents and their parents indicated similar clinical and follow-up experiences, although parents felt better informed at the PTC and reported better opportunities to stay near their child. Parents and patients reported higher opioid exposures at the ATC. Sharing of communication, accommodation and opioid prescribing practices may allow for improved experiences and reduced opioid exposures in injured adolescents presenting to ATCs. Multivariable analyses are necessary in the future to adjust for injury severity differences..