Annals of surgery
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To explore whether a discrepancy between the availability of trauma services (potential access) and trauma center utilization rates (realized access) exists, with the aim of informing strategies to improve access. ⋯ There is limited concordance between potential and realized access. Regions with high potential access had low realized access, and vice versa. This evaluation suggests that strategies to improve access must be based on understanding the distribution of centers and the triage practices used to access trauma care.