Evaluation of a virtual geriatric trauma institute.

Geriatric trauma patients require specialized care. Objective of this study was to compare outcomes for geriatric trauma patients before and after the implementation of a virtual geriatric trauma institute. This is a retrospective chart review of 583 trauma patients older than 65 years admitted to a rural level 1 trauma center before and after the implementation of a geriatric trauma institute. Length of stay was decreased from 4.99 to 3.9 days (P = .0014). Emergency department length of stay was decreased by approximately 10 minutes (P = .059), and time from the emergency department to the operating room was decreased by 470 minutes (P = .262).