Trauma Care Bias Targeted in Maryland

Study reports that older patients receive worse treatment for injuries

Posted: Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Updated: August 21st, 2008 05:53 PM EDT
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Trauma Care Bias Targeted in Maryland

Study reports that older patients receive worse treatment for injuries




Patients older than 65 are much less likely to be taken to a Maryland trauma center than younger patients with the same medical emergencies, according to a new report by Johns Hopkins researchers.


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Comments

Posted by Jim in Los Angeles CA
(08/25/08 - 08:44 PM)
Peds or geriatrics?
Interesting and predictable findings.

Certainly there IS a bias against older people. A problem is that the advocates for "pediatric care" have been so vocal for so long that the many differences between the old and the young are forgotten.

Personally I am getting tired of all the attention that is given to pediatrics. The GERIATRIAC population is the fastest growing group. We need to learn to handle them NOW!

But on the other side of the coin (that needs to be mentioned no matter how terrible it sounds) is that we pay more attention to pediatric patients because there is an often quoted statistic for trauma and disease that tracks: "Number of years of life lost".

Injured or dead child? "Sheesh! They just lost 30. 40. or 50 productive years."

Injured or dead elder? "What the heck, they only lost maybe 5-10 years at the most."

THIS IS A BIG QUESTION that needs to be answered as we try to figure out how to PAY for our health care.

Of course when you recesusitate a drowning child and they survive to live 30-40 years as a vegtable in a nursing home you have not done the health care system any favors either.

What are your thoughts?





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