Disparities and institutional variation in time to surgery for traumatic cervical spinal cord injury: a multicenter cohort study

Delays in surgical treatment for cervical SCI persist, particularly among patients categorized as frail, those who were uninsured, and Black patients. Institutional variation remains substantial and largely unexplained by case-mix or hospital-level characteristics. These findings highlight the need for equity-focused quality improvement efforts and system-level interventions to improve timely care for individuals with SCI.