An evaluation of the association between fault attribution and healthcare costs and trajectories in the first three years after transport injury

Background: People with complex medical and psychosocial issues have high healthcare needs. This registry-based cohort study sought to quantify the association between external fault attribution, recorded during compensation claim lodgement, and the cost and patterns of healthcare utilisation.

Methods: 6,144 survivors of transport-related major trauma between 1 July 2010 and 30 June 2016 were extracted from the Victorian State Trauma Registry (VSTR) and linked to treatment payments from the Transport Accident Commission (TAC). Associations between fault and healthcare costs were examined with Generalised Linear Regression. Healthcare trajectories were identified using Group-Based Multi-Trajectory Modelling and included medical treatments from a physician, or pain, mental health and physical therapy treatments for the first three years post-injury. Trajectories were validated against the EQ-5D-3L health status summary score using mixed linear regression.

Results: While injury severity had the strongest association with healthcare use, people who attributed fault to another had 9% higher healthcare costs. Six multi-trajectory groups were identified: 36% had low treatments over time; 25% had a rapid decline from high medical and physical therapy by 12-months; 12% had moderate to high medical and physical therapy that declined by 2-3 years; 11% had a gradual decline in medical treatment, an early increase in physical therapy but low pain and mental health treatment; 8% had high or increasing medical and physical therapy, moderate mental health therapy and low pain treatment; and 7% had moderate-high treatment across all domains. All groups had poorer health status compared with the group with low treatment levels, and people who attributed fault to another had higher risk of following trajectories with higher levels of treatment versus the low treatment group (beta=0.34, SE=0.12, p=0.01).

Conclusion: These findings highlight the need to provide pro-active multidisciplinary care coordination for people with complex needs after injury to better optimise recovery.