Structures, processes and outcomes between first referral and referral hospitals in low-income and middle-income countries: a secondary preplanned analysis of the FALCON and ChEETAh randomised trials.

ABSTRACT: First referral hospitals, often known as district hospitals, are neglected in the discourse on universal health coverage in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs). However, these hospitals are important for delivering safe surgery for 313 million people. This study aims to understand the structures, processes and outcomes of patients undergoing surgery in these centres in LMICs. This is a preplanned secondary analysis using data from two high-quality randomised controlled trials undergoing major abdominal surgery across six LMICs. Type of hospital was the main explanatory variable, defined according to the WHO taxonomy as first referral (ie, district or rural) and referral (ie, secondary or tertiary). Of the included 15 657 patients across 80 hospitals from 6 countries, 3562 patien

SUBMITTER: NIHR Global Health Research Unit on Global Surgery 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11552540 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature