Trauma Video Review: Law Enforcement Impact in the Trauma Bay

Trauma bays are high-stress environments where patients often arrive in critical condition. The presence of law enforcement officers (LEOs) can disrupt communication between doctors and patients. This shift in communication may increase patient anxiety, while doctors may adjust their approach to manage the tension. This study uses Michael Mann’s theory of overlapping power networks to understand the reasoning behind the communication shift. This research examines how LEO presence in trauma bays influences doctor-teampatient interactions and patient outcomes, measured by time in the trauma bay. To objectively determine the answer to this research, this study uses 30 videos matched into LEO-present (N=15) and non-LEO-present videos (N=15) from a Level I trauma center in Texas. The videos were matched based on patient injury severity (BP or ISS), injury type, gender, and race. The videos were than transcribed so that quantifiable variables such as sentence length, pet name use, reassurance to patients, apologies to patients, and explanations to patients could be tested for statistical significance. This allowed us to see how the presence of law enforcement might affect communication and the overall doctor-patient relationship when LEOs are present despite similar circumstances. Findings indicate that when LEOs are in the trauma bay, the atmosphere becomes more tense. Medical professionals have shorter average sentence length, and they are significantly less likely to use pet names, reassure patients, apologize to patients, and explain to patient what is happening. Thus, in the presence of LEOs, most verbal communication is limited to directives, and the team does not engage in collegial interactions. Preliminary metrics indicate that patients have a longer duration of time in the trauma bay when LEOs are present; however, it is not a significant result. These patterns suggest that LEO presence can influence both the emotional tone and the communication flow in the trauma bay as well as time to next phase of care. The results of this study highlight the significant impact that law enforcement presence in trauma bays can have on doctor-patient communication, time in trauma bay and, therefore, patient outcomes. The observed shifts toward more formal and brief communication, along with increased time spent in the trauma bay, point to a need for careful consideration of LEO involvement in these high-stress settings. These findings suggest that hospital administrators should consider the role of law enforcement in trauma care environments to develop policies that minimize the adverse effects on communication and patient care.