Does the rural trauma team development course shorten the interval from trauma patient arrival to decision to transfer?

BACKGROUND: The Rural Trauma Team Development Course (RTTDC) was developed by the ad hoc Rural Trauma Committee of the American College of Surgeons, Committee on Trauma to address the increased mortality of the rural trauma patient. The effectiveness of the RTTDC in shortening the interval from patient arrival to decision to transfer and the effect on the transfer process of communication training emphasizing team building is the focus of this study.
METHOD: Rural level III and level IV trauma centers (N=18) were enrolled in a multiinstitutional 3-month longitudinal study of transferred trauma patients. Results were compared with institutions having hosted RTTDC versus those institutions not yet exposed to the course.
RESULTS: One-way analysis of variance was conducted. Results indicated that RTTDC training alone and RTTDC including communication training resulted in a statistically significantly shorter (p<0.05) time for decision to transfer. Transferring squad arrival time was also significantly reduced (p<0.01) as was the number of transferring squads contacted (p<0.01). No differences were observed among the trauma facilities and the number of receiving facilities contacted, (p=0.64) or in the time required to find an accepting facility (p=0.72).
CONCLUSION: The RTTDC alone and with the embedded communication module significantly reduce delays in the transfer process of the rural trauma patient.