Further Consideration of Systems, Stigma, Trauma, and Access to Care

Stigma and discrimination limit access to mental health care.

This editorial provides an overview of how far access to mental health care is limited by perceptions of stigma and anticipated discrimination. Globally over 70% of young people and adults with mental illness receive no treatment from healthcare staff. The rates of non-treatment are far higher in low income countries. Evidence from some descriptive studies and epidemiological surveys suggest th...

No time to spare: improving access to trauma care.

Since the September 11 attacks, policymakers are paying increasing attention to the adequacy of the U.S. trauma care system to handle potential mass casualty incidents. This attention has led to questions about how well the trauma system covers the population for day-to-day trauma, such as motor vehicle accidents and gunshot wounds. Although the number of trauma centers has increased in the las...

Access to specialist care: Optimizing the geographic configuration of trauma systems

BACKGROUND The optimal geographic configuration of health care systems is key to maximizing accessibility while promoting the efficient use of resources. This article reports the use of a novel approach to inform the optimal configuration of a national trauma system. METHODS This is a prospective cohort study of all trauma patients, 15 years and older, attended to by the Scottish Ambulance Se...

Access to pediatric trauma care in the United States.

OBJECTIVES To catalog trauma center resources and estimate access to age-specific trauma care for children younger than 15 years in the United States. DESIGN Cross-sectional study collating information from national, state, and local trauma systems authorities to create a catalog of verified pediatric trauma centers (PTCs) and self-designated "candidate" trauma centers. Access-to-care calcula...

Primary Care Practice Design under Case Mix: Joint Consideration of Access to Care and Continuity of Care