Injury is common and associated with negative mental and physical health outcomes and functional impairment. This study analyzed trauma registry data from a Level II trauma center serving a rural population to describe demographic and injury characteristics of adult patients receiving care for a traumatic injury ( n = 1127) in 2023. Most patients identified as male (67%), White (64%), and Not Hispanic/Latino (67%). Among the 29% who identified as “Other race,” 91% were identified as Hispanic/Latino. Public insurance coverage was reported for 46% of the patients and 77% provided a social security number. Among uninsured patients, 39% had worker’s compensation coverage. Falls accounted for 40% of injuries, motor vehicle accidents 26%, and intentional injuries 10%. Hispanic/Latino patients were less likely to be insured and more likely to have worker’s compensation as a payor. These findings reflect known disparities in workplace injury and insurance coverage among Hispanic/Latino populations. Evidence‐based early interventions exist to address the recovery needs of traumatically injured patients; however limited data are available on their effectiveness for Spanish‐speaking Latino patients. To support Spanish‐speaking trauma survivors, trauma centers are encouraged to develop and implement programming to address the unique social determinants of health impacting rural patient populations.
Droesch et al. (Thu,) studied this question.