The future of trauma care

Abstract

[Extract] The provision of efficient and cost-effective trauma care has been a continual challenge for society and the 21st century is no exception. Both low-middle income countries (LMICs) and high-income countries (HICs) have challenges but for totally different reasons. Resource scarcity and policy vacuums in the LMICs means they struggle to provide basic care, whereas in HICs the paradigm of care has not evolved to match changing epidemiology and the increasing societal expectations. Unless trauma systems and trauma care providers are able to adapt to changing circumstances, recent improvements in care are likely to be overwhelmed by a global epidemic of trauma. Increasing industrialisation in LMICs and both increased longevity and comorbidity in HICs have placed huge burdens on existing trauma systems. The LMICs are under the most pressure due to large populations and less well developed trauma systems.