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Study Finds Uninsured Trauma Patients 80% More Likely to Die

By Paul Napoli

November 30, 2009

In a new study published in the November issue of Archives of Surgery, Harvard University and Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston researchers found trauma patients without medical insurance are more likely to die those with insurance.

The researchers studied data submitted from 1,154 trauma centers to the National Trauma Data Bank for 687,091 U.S. adult patients admitted with blunt or penetrating trauma injuries from 2002 through 2006. The study did not include burn patients, people who were treated and released or those dead on arrival to the hospital.

The study researchers factored patients' age, gender, race and severity of injury and found that patients enrolled in commercial health plans, health maintenance organizations or Medicaid had an equal risk of death from traumatic injuries. Patients covered by Medicare had a 56% higher risk of death. Patients without insurance were 80% more likely to die from traumatic injuries.

"After admission to a hospital, trauma patients can have worse outcomes based on insurance status," the study authors wrote. "This concerning finding warrants more rigorous investigation to determine why such variation in mortality would exist in a system where equivalent care is not only expected but mandated by law."

The study did not identify a cause for the increased mortality rate of uninsured patients, but did say that uninsured patients may experience treatment delay or different care than insured patients. Authors cited another study of Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston by J S Haas and L Goldman that found uninsured trauma patients were less likely to be admitted to the hospital and received fewer services during their admission compared with insured trauma patients.

The Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act ensures that hospitals provide emergency care regardless of a patient's ability to pay.

In 2007, according to the US Census Bureau, 45.7 million Americans (15.3%) were uninsured.

Medical malpractice occurs when a physician or other medical care provider does not follow the "reasonable standard of care" for a patient in a similar medical situation. This standard of care is based on what other people in similar professions would do when faced with the same situation. Emergency room doctors who treat trauma patients have different standards of care to uphold than specialists such as plastic surgeons and podiatrists. Medical malpractice can result in serious injuries and even death. If you have been injured as the result of medical malpractice while you were a patient in a hospital or if a loved one died due to Medical malpractice, you may be able to file a claim and collect compensation for pain and suffering, lost wages, medical expenses and other losses. Call Napoli Bern Ripka, LLP at 888-529-4669 today to discuss your legal options.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Paul Napoli

Full post as published by New York City Personal Injury Lawyer on December 01, 2009 (boomark / email).