Archives of Public Health (Oct 2024)

Exploring the long-term disability outcomes in Trauma patients: study protocol

  • Natasha Shaukat,
  • Asma Altaf Hussain Merchant,
  • Fazila Sahibjan,
  • Ayesha Abbasi,
  • Zeerak Jarrar,
  • Tanveer Ahmed,
  • Huba Atiq,
  • Uzma Rahim Khan,
  • Nadeem Ullah Khan,
  • Saima Mushtaq,
  • Shahid Rasul,
  • Adnan A. Hyder,
  • Junaid Razzak,
  • Adil Haider

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s13690-024-01385-3
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 82, no. 1
pp. 1 – 7

Abstract

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Abstract Objectives Trauma registries are essential tools for improving trauma care quality and efficiency, but many fail to capture long-term patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs). Focusing on these outcomes is crucial for understanding the extent of disability patients experience and identifying potential post-discharge interventions to optimize recovery. Studies reflecting the experience from low- and middle-income countries in this area are limited. Therefore, we aim to develop a digital trauma registry in Pakistan to prospectively capture patient-reported outcome measures at one, three, six, and twelve months post-injury. Methods We will develop and implement a digital trauma registry at two tertiary care facilities in Karachi, Pakistan: Aga Khan University Hospital and Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Center. The registry will include all admitted adult trauma patients (≥ 18 years). Data collection will be conducted digitally using tablets, with mortality, level of disability, functional status, and quality of life as primary outcomes. Follow-up data will be collected through telephone interviews with patients and caregivers. We will employ descriptive statistics to summarize participant’s socio-demographic and clinical characteristics. Additionally, we will perform survival analysis using Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox proportional hazard models and utilize mixed-effects linear regression to adjust for potential confounders for primary outcomes. Discussion The trauma registry will fill the current gap in knowledge regarding long-term outcomes among trauma patients in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). This study will delineate future direction for capturing post-discharge data, enhancing our understanding of recovery, and informing the design of interventions aimed at improving long-term outcomes.

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