ArticleBMJ open2026
Impact of geographical location on ICU outcomes in adults: a scoping review.
Article in BMJ open, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
8 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectivesRural populations experience poorer health outcomes than urban counterparts globally. Limited studies have examined the impact of geographical location-specifically travel distance/time and rurality-on intensive care unit (ICU) outcomes. This scoping review aimed to map literature on geographical location and ICU outcomes to better inform policy and improve ICU access in underserved communities.
designScoping review. DATA SOURCES: MEDLINE, CINAHL and Embase were searched through to 8 May 2025. Grey literature was identified through ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global, including dissertations, theses and conference proceedings. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA FOR SELECTING STUDIES: Studies examining the impact of geographical location (rurality and/or travel distance/time) on ICU outcomes in adult populations were included. No restrictions were placed on country, healthcare setting or date of publication. Peer-reviewed primary studies and grey literature were eligible; editorials, commentaries and reviews were excluded. DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS: Two reviewers independently extracted study characteristics, rurality definitions, travel distance/time measures and ICU outcomes using a standardised form and synthesised descriptively.
results23 articles and 1 conference abstract; all were retrospective studies. 23 studies reported on rurality with 20 specifying the definition used. Six studies reported travel distance/time, all detailing measurement methods. 12 studies mentioned baseline patient comorbidities, 18 reported ICU admissions and 4 hospital/ICU readmissions. More studies reported longer ICU length of stay and greater ICU intervention use among rural compared with urban/metropolitan patients, although mortality findings were inconsistent. Heterogeneity limited direct comparison. No clear association was found between travel distance/time and ICU outcomes.
conclusionsInconsistent rurality definitions complicated comparisons. The mapped literature reported longer ICU LOS and greater intervention use for rural compared with urban/metropolitan patients; however, mortality findings were inconsistent with no predictive pattern. No clear association was observed between travel distance/time and ICU outcomes. Future research should adopt standardised rurality definitions, account for preadmission health status and focus on condition specific contexts to inform policy.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.