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. 2021 Feb 24;6(1):e000692.
doi: 10.1136/tsaco-2021-000692. eCollection 2021.

Effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the ability of level 1 trauma centers to meet American College of Surgeons research requirements

Robert M Madayag  1 , Erica Sercy  2 , Gina M Berg  3 , Kaysie L Banton  4 , Matthew Carrick  5 , Mark Lieser  6 , Allen Tanner  7 , David Bar-Or  2
Affiliations

Effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the ability of level 1 trauma centers to meet American College of Surgeons research requirements

Robert M Madayag et al. Trauma Surg Acute Care Open. .

Abstract

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has had major effects on hospitals' ability to perform scientific research while providing patient care and minimizing virus exposure and spread. Many non-COVID-19 research has been halted, and funding has been diverted to COVID-19 research and away from other areas.

Methods: A 28-question survey was administered to all level 1 trauma centers in the USA that included questions about how the pandemic affected the trauma centers' ability to fulfill the volume and research requirements of level 1 verification by the American College of Surgeons (ACS).

Results: The survey had a 29% response rate (40/137 successful invitations). Over half of respondents (52%) reported reduced trauma admissions during the pandemic, and 7% reported that their admissions dropped below the volume required for level 1 verification. Many centers diverted resources from research during the pandemic (44%), halted ongoing consenting studies (33%), and had difficulty fulfilling research requirements because of competing clinical priorities (40%).

Discussion: Results of this study show a need for flexibility in the ACS verification process during the COVID-19 pandemic, potentially including reduction of the required admissions and/or research publication volumes.

Level of evidence: Level IV, cross-sectional study.

Keywords: COVID-19; epidemiology; survey.

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Conflict of interest statement

Competing interests: None declared.

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