Electric Scooter-related Injuries Are Becoming More Frequent and Costly in Denver, CO.

Background: Electric scooters (e-scooters) have become a widely adopted form of transportation. Information regarding the timing, conditions, and context associated with increased frequency of e-scooter-related injuries could inform policy that may potentially reduce associated injuries and healthcare costs. However, this information is lacking, as most research to date has focused on the injury patterns sustained while using e-scooters rather than context. We sought to evaluate these factors in an urban setting and describe how these are evolving over time, as such information may help guide future safety initiatives.

Questions/purposes: (1) How has the epidemiology of e-scooter-related injuries in Denver, CO, USA, changed over time? (2) What are the associated hospital charges to treat patients with these injuries? (3) What circumstances are associated with an increased frequency of e-scooter-related injuries and higher accompanying hospital charges?

Methods: A retrospective study at a Level 1 trauma center in Denver, CO, USA, examined trends in e-scooter-related injuries from January 1, 2020, to November 1, 2023. Patients were identified by the key terms "e-scooter crash" or "scooter" within their emergency department/urgent care visit notes. Patient demographic and injury characteristics and hospital data (admission and hospital charges) were analyzed. Patients who sustained injuries from devices other than stand-up e-scooters or who did not have complete records available for analysis were excluded. The epidemiologic data on e-scooter-related injuries were quantified for each year within the study period, and descriptive analyses were performed to assess patient and injury characteristics, including age, gender, and fracture characteristics. Hospital charges were calculated using the mean annual sum of hospital charges associated with the treatment for e-scooter-related injuries. Circumstances influencing the frequency of injury and magnitude of hospital charges were assessed based on the timing of presentation to the emergency department or urgent care. We recognize that charge may have little or no direct relationship to true cost, but we believe that within one hospital system it represents a reasonable metric for comparative resource utilization. Injury frequency by time of the day and day of the week were compared using chi-square goodness-of-fit analyses. The value of hospital charges associated with e-scooter-related injuries was compared between patients presenting with alcohol intoxication and those who were not intoxicated.

Results: In all, 2424 patients were identified as having e-scooter-related injuries (58% [1405] men, 42% [1019] women, median (IQR) age 30 years [25 to 37 years]). The number of annual e-scooter-related injuries during the years 2020 to 2023 were 273 in 2020, 736 in 2021, 758 in 2022, and 657 in 2023 (only 10 months). From 2020 to 2023, the mean annual sum of hospital charges for treatment of e-scooter-related injuries was USD 10.4 million; USD 6.4 million in 2020, USD 11.5 million in 2021, USD 11.9 million in 2022, and USD 10.9 million in 2023 (only 10 months). Hospital charges associated with orthopaedic e-scooter-related injuries amounted to a mean annual sum of USD 3.6 million over the 4-year study period; USD 1.5 million in 2020, USD 3.9 million in 2021, USD 4.5 million in 2022, and USD 4.1 million in 2023 (only 10 months). Forty-five percent (1098) of all e-scooter-related injuries occurred between 7 PM and 3 AM, and 44% (1064) of them occurred over the weekend. The treatment of e-scooter-related injuries incurred higher hospital charges if injuries occurred during night hours (median [IQR] USD 10,459 [4779 to 16,423]) compared with early morning (USD 4973 [1178 to 11,671]) or daytime hours (USD 4871 [1059 to 11,673]; p < 0.001), or while patients were intoxicated (USD 13,404 [10,346 to 22,525]) compared with those who were not intoxicated (USD 6132 [2612 to 13,620]; p < 0.001).

Conclusion: E-scooter-related injuries are increasing in frequency and occur most commonly during nighttime and weekend hours. Total hospital charges to treat these injuries are also increasing annually, with the highest charges observed during evening hours and in patients presenting with alcohol intoxication. These results may help inform e-scooter awareness initiatives and policy reform to place restrictions on e-scooter use during periods of highest injury frequency and healthcare charges. Further research related to the efficacy of implementing e-scooter restrictions is needed. Future observational studies evaluating time of injury compared with presentation for treatment could help to provide a more precise understanding of the epidemiology of these injuries.

Level of evidence: Level IV, prognostic study.