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The Functional Outcomes And Recovery After Trauma Emergencies (FORTE)
The Functional Outcomes And Recovery After Trauma Emergencies (FORTE)

The Functional Outcomes and Recovery After Trauma Emergencies (FORTE) project, led by Drs. Ali Salim and Juan Herrera-Escobar, evaluates outcomes of patients recovering from traumatic injuries at three Level One trauma centers in Boston: Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Massachusetts General Hospital, and Boston Medical Center. The FORTE study is taking a new approach to evaluating trauma-related outcomes. Rather than simply looking at mortality and morbidity at 30 days, which is the current practice, FORTE seeks to expand our knowledge of trauma outcomes by checking in with patients at six months to a year post-injury. In doing so, the FORTE team is continuously improving a database of long-term patient-reported outcomes to measure factors including functional status, quality of life, symptoms, and treatment adherence.

To date, the FORTE team has completed 3,536 follow-up interviews with 2,836 trauma survivors. It has also published 13 manuscripts in peer-reviewed surgical journals spanning multiple areas, including mental, physical, and social health outcomes research. FORTE is also applying for R-01 funding and planning to expand to other trauma centers across the country. By interviewing patients during their first year following their injury, we are learning more about the long-term challenges people face as they recover from traumatic injury. The FORTE project can ultimately help patients and providers to predict long-term outcomes about a specific injury and inform decisions of healthcare. For more information, contact Juan Herrera-Escobar, MD or visit the FORTE website.

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