Gotta Scoot: The Financial Burden of E-Scooter Related Orthopaedic Injuries at a Level 1 Trauma Center
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.55576/job.v3i4.42Keywords:
Electric Scooter, e-scooter, costAbstract
Objectives: To determine the cost of electric scooter (e-scooter)-related orthopaedic injuries and the subsequent hospital and community financial burden.
Design: Retrospective economic review
Setting: Level 1 trauma center
Participants: Patients presenting to the emergency department of an urban level 1 trauma center from January 2017 through August 2020 with e-scooter-related orthopaedic injuries.
Results: 82 patients (58 [70.1%] male; mean age 34.1) presented to the ED requiring orthopedic consultation for injuries caused by e-scooter use during the study period. 64% were employed and only 33% had private insurance. 21% were on the county-funded or discounted coverage through the county hospital system as qualified county residents. 2.4% were covered by Medicaid and the remaining 44% were uninsured. Admission was required in 30% of patients and surgery in 35%. The aggregate cost of hospital interventions, including surgery, added up to a total cost of $2,329,325.39 or an average of $28,406.41 per patient.
Conclusion: E-scooter-related orthopedic injuries are common and often require procedural and surgical intervention. The cost per patient is high, as is the total financial burden. Additionally, at our county-funded institution, most of these injuries occur in patients with either no insurance or county funded care leading to a significant displacement of cost-burden to the local tax-payer.
Keywords: electric scooter, e-scooter, orthopaedics, cost, tax-payer burden
Level of Evidence: Level IV
(J Ortho Business 2023: Volume 3, Issue 4)
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