Factors influencing outpatient follow-up compliance in minor trauma patients after emergency department discharge

Introduction: Minor traumas constitute a significant proportion of emergency department admissions and typically involve non-life-threatening injuries that can be managed without the need for hospitalization. However, these patients carry a risk of developing complications, and follow-up processes are critically important for clinical outcomes. Although compliance with outpatient follow-up after trauma is known to be low, multidimensional data specifically focused on minor trauma patients remain limited in the literature. Methods: A total of 1,026 patients who presented to the Emergency Department of Yeditepe University Kozyatağı Hospital and were diagnosed with minor trauma and discharged with outpatient follow-up recommendations were retrospectively evaluated. Sociodemographic characteristics, trauma-related clinical features, and whether patients presented to the recommended outpatient clinic within the first fifteen days after discharge were analyzed. Statistical analysis was conducted using Chi-square and Mann-Whitney U tests. Results: The follow-up compliance rate among minor trauma patients was determined to be 33.53%. Group comparisons showed that patients with higher Injury Severity Scores (ISS) and lower Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) scores had significantly higher follow-up compliance. Sports injuries were associated with higher follow-up compliance compared to other causes, while the lowest compliance rates were observed in patients who experienced trauma due to syncope or dizziness. Additionally, patients without skin lesions, those who underwent radiological imaging in the emergency department, and those who received immobilization were more likely to comply with follow-up recommendations. Patients diagnosed with bone-joint pathologies and those who received a specialist consultation in the emergency department also demonstrated significantly higher follow-up compliance. Conclusion: This study reveals that numerous factors influence follow-up compliance among minor trauma patients. The findings have the potential to contribute to strategic planning aimed at improving patient management and follow-up procedures.