A novel approach to the problem of health care in jails

Guzzardi, Lawrence J.; Braen, G. Richard; Jones, David P.H.

doi:10.1016/s0361-1124(79)80264-6

Cited by 4 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 1 publication

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“…Prisoners are known to be a high-risk group for medical [7][8][9] or psychiatric [10][11][12] illness, infectious diseases, 13 and physical injuries. [10][11][12][14][15][16] According to a 1984 study conducted in British Columbia, the average prisoner required service by a physician 6.7 times per year, a rate that was 2.4 times higher than that of the average non-incarcerated Canadian adult.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impact of a prison triage system on injuries seen in emergency departments

Kuzak

O’Connor

Pickett

et al. 2001

CJEM

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Objectives: 1) To describe injuries experienced by the male prisoner population in the Kingston, Ontario area, and to compare them with those observed in the general population; and 2) to compare the incidence and patterns of prisoner injuries seen in emergency departments (EDs) before and after the introduction of a prison injury triage system. Design: A chart review. Setting: The catchment area surrounding 2 hospital-based EDs in Kingston, Ontario, which includes 8 federal and provincial prisons for adult males. Observations: Injuries to male prisoners (ages 18–75 years) who were treated in the ED during 1996–98 were compared with injuries to the general male population of the same age range. An on-site emergency care triage system was introduced to area prisons in 1993. Prisoner injuries seen in the ED during 1996–98 were compared with those seen during a similar period prior to the introduction of the triage system (1981–84). Available comparators included patient demographics, disposition, intent and nature of injury, the need for surgery, and lengths of hospital stay. Results: 148 prisoner injuries were identified for 1996–98. Prisoner injuries seen in the ED were relatively severe when compared with the general male population, as indicated by the higher frequency of fractures (31.8% prisoner vs. 13.4% general, p < 0.001), blunt head injuries (10.1% vs. 2.2%, p < 0.001), hospital admissions (42.6% vs. 4.1%, p < 0.001) and deaths (2.7% vs. 0.6%, p < 0.001). Since the introduction of the triage system there has been a reduction in the rate of prisoner injuries seen in local hospital EDs (6.1/100/yr [before] vs. 1.6/100/yr [after], p < 0.001). There has been an increase in the relative severity of prisoner injuries seen in the EDs as indicated by the increased hospital admission rate (42.6% vs. 22.7%, p < 0.001), increased rate of surgical intervention (27.7% vs. 12.1%, p < 0.001), and increased length of hospital stay (4.0 days vs. 2.1 days, p < 0.05). The mortality rate has remained low and unchanged (0.7% vs. 1.1%, p = 0.99). Conclusions: The introduction of the new triage system appeared to be associated with a decrease in the total number of ED visits by prisoners. The relative acuity of prisoner injuries seen in the EDs appeared to increase following introduction of the triage system.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impact of a prison triage system on injuries seen in emergency departments

Kuzak

O’Connor

Pickett

et al. 2001

CJEM

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“…[ 5 ] Prisoners are known to be a high-risk group for medical and psychiatric illnesses, infectious diseases, and physical diseases. [ 6 7 8 ] Detainees are generally young population, but the number of prisoners older than 60 years is increasing. [ 9 ] Due to this aging population, it is expected to suffer from at least one chronic disease.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The preliminary experience in the emergency department of a newly opened penitentiary institution hospital in Turkey

Koç¹,

Tutal²,

Urumdaş³

et al. 2014

North Am J Med Sci

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Background:Emergency cases become a widespread problem in prisons across Turkey. The opening of a new prison hospital in January 2012 within the catchment of Silivri Penitentiary Institution gave a unique opportunity to treat the inmates quickly.Aims:The study was to conduct an extensive review for documentation of prisoners’ healthcare problems leading to emergency admission following the first year after the opening of Penitentiary Institution Hospital and point to decrease redundant hospital transfers of this individual cohort.Materials and Methods:A cross-sectional study was carried out where 12,325 visits to the Silivri Penitentiary Institution Hospital for emergency visits from the period of 1st January 2012 to the 31st December 2012 were identified from electronic medical records. After obtaining consent from the local IRB, data including details of the type, cause and nature of the complaints of the illnesses were processed.Results:In the 12-month period, there were 12,325 visits to the emergency department, of which 4328 for surgical conditions (35.1%), 2684 for medical disorders (21.8%), 1867 for sports injuries (15.2%), 1327 for Ear Nose Throat (ENT) problems (10.8%), 827 for psychiatric disorders (6.70%), 396 for violence injury (3.2%), 169 for self harm (1.4%), and 727 for miscellaneous (5.8%). The most common cause of emergency visits was sports injuries, followed by non-specific abdominal pain and ENT problems. Eighteen prisoners re-attended 243 times, ranging from 8 visits to a maximum of 56 visits.Conclusion:Inmates in prison have a wide range of complaints, and sometimes these complaints do not suggest an illness. Prison population exhibited substantially higher prevalence rates of diseases than the civilian population. We conclude that this new healthcare system in prisons will prevent redundant hospital transfers and guarantee detainees have access to the same health care that is offered to non-detained population.

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“…3,5 Studies have indicated that 65-81% of all prisoners suffer one or more health problems. [7][8][9][10] Further, numerous studies demonstrate prisoners to be high-risk for infectious and physical disease 11,12 as well as psychiatric illness. [7][8][9][10] Further, numerous studies demonstrate prisoners to be high-risk for infectious and physical disease 11,12 as well as psychiatric illness.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…5,6 Mortality among inmate populations is high compared to national averages of several countries. [7][8][9][10] Further, numerous studies demonstrate prisoners to be high-risk for infectious and physical disease 11,12 as well as psychiatric illness. [13][14][15][16] However, little is known regarding common reasons that prisoners present to EDs.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Review article: Common emergency department presenting complaints of prisoners: A systematic review

Harel

Moskovitch

Weiland

et al. 2018

Emerg Medicine Australasia

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Prisoners are a particularly vulnerable minority group whose healthcare needs and management differ substantially from the general population. The overall burden of disease of prisoners is well documented; however, little is known regarding the aetiology and frequency of prisoners' acute medical complaints requiring an ED visit. Objectives of the review were to identify, review and appraise existing literature regarding prisoners' presentations to EDs. We performed systematic electronic searches in MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, PubMed, Cochrane, and Web of Science using MeSH terms and keywords. Two reviewers abstracted data and conducted quality appraisal using the Quality Assessment Tool for Observational Cohort and Cross-Sectional Studies. Nine articles met the predefined inclusion criteria. Apart from two European studies in the past 5 years, there is a scarcity of literature primarily addressing the common presenting complaints to EDs by prisoners. Existing studies demonstrated that prisoners have a disproportionately high burden of traumatic, infectious and psychiatric disease requiring emergency treatment. With the increasing number of emergency presentations made by prisoners each year, it is vital that further research is undertaken to identify trends of these acute medical complaints in order to ensure optimal therapeutic outcomes for prisoners.

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A novel approach to the problem of health care in jails

Cited by 4 publications

References 1 publication

Impact of a prison triage system on injuries seen in emergency departments

Impact of a prison triage system on injuries seen in emergency departments

The preliminary experience in the emergency department of a newly opened penitentiary institution hospital in Turkey

Review article: Common emergency department presenting complaints of prisoners: A systematic review

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