Secondary overtriage: impact of trauma center designation and trauma system integration.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Secondary overtriage in trauma refers to the interfacility transfer of minimally and moderately injured patients who do not require major interventions, resulting in short stays at tertiary receiving facilities. Secondary overtriage rates are commonly used as a measure of trauma system efficiency, focused on the optimal allocation and use of healthcare resources. However, limited data exist examining the impact of Level III trauma centers (L3TC) on secondary overtriage rates. Therefore, this study aimed to determine whether transfer from L3TCs, compared with non-trauma facilities, was associated with a lower rate of secondary overtriage among patients subsequently admitted to a Level I trauma center.

Methods

This was a single-center, retrospective cohort study of

SUBMITTER: Hunt DL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12931552 | biostudies-literature | 2026

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature