Patients with gunshot wounds use more hospital resources, but are less likely to be covered by insurance compared to other patients, a recent study found.
The study, published Feb. 18 in Cureus, drew from the American College of Surgeons’ National Trauma Data Bank from 2019 to 2021. Study authors analyzed records of 1,596,079 trauma patients who were admitted to a level 1 or 2 trauma center in the U.S. Of those patients, 106,844, or 6.7%, were admitted for gunshot wounds.
Here are four findings:
1. Gunshot wound patients were more likely to be transported to a hospital via helicopter compared to other patients, at 10.9% versus 8.1%.
2. Uninsured gunshot wound patients ended up at a hospital more often than other uninsured patients, at 31.9% versus 9.9%.
3. Gunshot wound patients were also more likely to be covered by government-funded insurance.
4. These patients also had a longer length of stay in the ICU, and were more likely to be discharged to a psychiatric hospital or psychiatric unit of the hospital.
“Gunshot wound trauma is associated with high demands on acute care resources and significant gaps in post-hospital discharge support,” study authors wrote. “A comprehensive and equity-oriented approach is warranted to enhance the efficiency and responsiveness of trauma care systems.”
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