Zain Hashmi, M.D., FACS, an assistant professor in the Division of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery, both presented and moderated sessions at Trauma Quality Improvement Program (TQIP) annual conference.
TQIP is the flagship quality improvement program of the American College of Surgeons (ACS) Committee on Trauma.
Hashmi, who has recently published multiple papers relating to the emerging field of teletrauma, moderated a panel called “Strength in Communication: Opportunities to Improve Remote Trauma Care Using Telehealth.”
He also presented during a session called “Position Your Trauma Center for Success.” His presentation was called “Overcapacity at Your Trauma Center? Thinking Regionally to Ensure Adequate Resource Allocation.”
The theme of 2024’s TQIP conference was “enhancing quality through communication,” and Hashmi made the case that communication is the key to meeting the needs of rural trauma patients and hospitals.
An obvious problem with the current national trauma system is patients not receiving timely care that meets their injury severity - 30 million Americans lack timely access to Level I or Level II trauma center care. But another problem is that often, non-severely injured patients are routed to a trauma center with high level care, which puts a financial burden on the patient and leads to overcrowding at the trauma center.
According to Hashmi’s research, up to 50% of all trauma patients undergo interfacility transfers, and 50% of those transfers are potentially preventable. At UAB, one-third of trauma patients are transferred in from other hospitals. 22% of those transferred in patients are deemed “potentially avoidable transfers.”
Hashmi makes the case that teletrauma can solve some of these issues. Through outreach, education, and technology, trauma surgeons at UAB’s ACS-verified Level I Trauma Center can work hand in hand with rural providers and provide care to patients in rural areas. For example, a UAB trauma surgeon can review a case and consult with a provider virtually and make recommendations on whether or not the patient should be transferred to UAB, or if the rural hospital can meet the needs of the patient and allow them to receive their care closer to home.
“Potentially avoidable interfacility transfers are a pressing national challenge that can be solved through regional solutions,” Hashmi said. “I strongly believe that teletrauma will be a gamechanger for improved trauma care in the state of Alabama and we’re looking forward to helping empower rural providers and facilities across the state.”