Study on patient perspectives on the promptness and quality of care of road traffic accident victims in a tertiary care hospital in South India

Background: Road Traffic Accidents (RTAs) are an important cause of mortality worldwide. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 1.25 million people die each year as a result of RTAs. India accounts for more than 2 hundred thousand of those deaths. Aim: To identify patterns of RTAs presenting at a tertiary healthcare centre, assess the promptness and quality of healthcare given to those injured in the RTAs, and assess factors associated with perceptions of the quality of care received. Methods: Cross sectional study of RTA victims who sustained injuries and were admitted to the inpatient department of a tertiary care hospital in Manipal between November 2016 and June 2017. Sample size: 100. Data was gathered on demography, crash characteristics and injuries sustained. Results: The age group with the highest preponderance of RTAs was the 40-50 year age group (41%). 8 pm to 11 pm witnessed the highest proportion of accidents (26%). A majority (74%) of the victims met with their accidents when they were travelling on two wheelers. 63% of RTA victims were satisfied with the care that they received in the emergency room. Conclusion: Patients were positive about doctors and nurses, the care and treatment and the 'overall' care that they had received. Patients were more critical about the intimation of test results to them and the medicine administered. The mean quality of care in the emergency room appeared to be better in terms of timely care and treatment. Healthcare performance in the emergency room can be compared between hospitals by surveying patient's experiences, and there is much to learn across emergency rooms in diverse settings.