1. What are the incidence and costs associated with interfacility emergency department transfer patients treated by oral and maxillofacial surgeons?
- Author
-
Schiappa M, Palla B, and Callahan NF
- Subjects
- Humans, Retrospective Studies, Female, Male, Incidence, Adult, Middle Aged, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons economics, Illinois epidemiology, Health Care Costs statistics & numerical data, Aged, Emergency Service, Hospital economics, Emergency Service, Hospital statistics & numerical data, Patient Transfer economics, Patient Transfer statistics & numerical data, Maxillofacial Injuries economics, Maxillofacial Injuries therapy, Maxillofacial Injuries epidemiology, Maxillofacial Injuries surgery
- Abstract
Objective: Interfacility emergency department transfers (IETs) for maxillofacial trauma and infections are prevalent in the United States, with significant implications for health care costs. Limited availability of oral and maxillofacial surgeons (OMS) exacerbates unnecessary transfers and associated expenses. This study aimed to determine the incidence and costs of OMS IET., Study Design: A retrospective cohort study was performed for maxillofacial trauma and infection IET at the University of Illinois Health main hospital via electronic medical record query for terms "infection [or] trauma [and] transfer." Inclusion criteria required presentation from January 1, 2022 to June 30, 2022; emergency department (ED)-ED transfer; and or consultation by OMS. Distance transferred, insurance type, location of treatment, weekend presentation, and associated costs were collected., Results: One thousand ninety-nine records were identified, including 46 trauma IET and 122 infection IET. Costs ranged from $2,683,918.90 to $7,984,912.89, indicating ∼$1.5 billion annual expenditure across US OMS programs. Three trauma IET required urgent treatment; no infection IETs were "emergent." Trauma IET averaged 20.7 + 17.1 miles and infection IET 22.0 + 17.4 miles for transfer distance. Among trauma IET, 28 were treated in the operating room (OR), 10 had outpatient follow-up, and 8 had ED treatment. Among infection IETs, 57 received ED treatment, 56 received OR treatment, and 9 received antibiotics/no treatment., Conclusions: Maxillofacial trauma and infection IET impose significant health care costs. Increased funding for OMS training may mitigate the shortage and improve patient care. Further research is needed for better triaging and reimbursement strategies., Competing Interests: DECLARATION OF INTERESTS M.S. is founder and manager of OCA Holdings, LLC (Chicago, IL), producer of the Oral Capnography Accessory. No compensation or resources were provided by OCA Holdings, LLC for the conduction of this research. B.P., and N.F.C. have no commercial associations, current and within the past 5 years, including grants, patent licensing arrangements, consultancies, stock or other equity ownership, advisory board memberships, or payments for conducting or publicizing the study that might pose a potential, perceived or real conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)
- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
- View/download PDF