Lavoie, A., Lesage, N., & Sampalis, J.S. (2002). Continuity of Care for Major Trauma Victims in an Integrated and Regionalized System. Research Report. Ottawa : Canadian Health Services Research Foundation.

Several Canadian provinces have created integrated networks based on the principle of referring clients from general facilities to a few designated centres for trauma, oncology, cerebrovascular science, cardiology, etc. This concentration of expertise in a limited number of facilities is designed to increase the efficiency of healthcare services.

What are the implications, however, for major trauma victims who require a very extensive range of care? No single healthcare facility is able to meet all these needs and typically, major trauma victims must be transferred from centre to centre as required. This situation raises questions about the accessibility and continuity of care.