There is no generally accepted methodology to assess trauma system access. The goal of this study is to determine the influence of the number and geographical distribution of trauma centers (TCs) on transport times (TT) using geographic information system (GIS)–technology.
Using ArcGIS-PRO, we calculated differences in TT and population coverage in 7 scenarios with 1, 2, or 3 TCs during rush (R) and low-traffic (L) hours in a densely populated region with 3 TCs in the Netherlands.
In all 7 scenarios, the population that could reach the nearest TC within 15 minutes decreased to between 19% and 32% in R and L.
This study shows that a GIS-based model offers a quantifiable and objective method to evaluate trauma system access under different potential trauma system configurations. Transport time from accident to TC would remain acceptable, around 20 minutes, if the current 3-TC situation would be changed to a geographically well-spread 2-center scenario.