AJMC January 21, 2025
Key Takeaways
- Longer travel times correlate with higher complexity in surgical disease presentation and increased healthcare resource utilization.
- Rurality alone does not predict disease complexity, but longer travel times in rural areas increase the likelihood of complex disease presentation.
- Travel times over 60 minutes are associated with higher chances of interfacility transfers, surgical interventions, and hospital admissions.
- Prolonged travel time results in longer hospital stays and higher overall charges, emphasizing its role as a barrier to timely emergency care.
- Policymakers should consider travel time metrics to develop interventions ensuring timely access to emergency care, especially in rural communities.
Analyzing patients’ travel time to receive emergency surgical services provides valuable insights that can inform policy reform and address the...
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