Tracking injuries and other health related events in Illinois: A web-based interactive report system

The Illinois Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Data Reporting System is a web-based interactive query system, providing public access to a wealth of statewide injury/health related data. The system was developed through an Illinois EMS for Children data initiative. Based on interagency collaboration, the system is hosted within the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) web site, as a point of access to data sources from three different agencies (IDPH, Illinois Department of Transportation, Illinois Hospital Association). The Illinois Department of Transportation plays a critical role in supporting the system's development and maintenance through grant funding and data sharing. The objectives were to create an umbrella query system with a comprehensive set of injury/health related data; allow easy access to state/ local level data; and, provide a user-friendly interface with key data elements and basic statistics. In 2000, the EMS Reporting System was launched (www.idph.state.il.us/emsrpt), and to date it contains data from 1994 to 2006. Data users searching specifically for injury information can customize reports to obtain aggregate data that supports injury trending at both local and state level. The system contains four statewide databases: hospital discharges (19 million records), trauma registry admissions (0.4 million records), motor vehicle crash reports (11 million road users), and mortality data (1.2 million death records). The simultaneous use of these sources provide a more comprehensive understanding of injuries. The system has seen a steady increase in use. From 2002 to 2006, the number of web visits increased over 80 percent (from 14,893 to 26,971, respectively).