307423
Health Informatics Information Technology and Development of an Innovative Global Trauma Registry
The global burden of injury disproportionately affects low and middle income countries although there is little data on injury in these settings. Through innovative health informatics and delivery systems, LMICs can more accurately determine the burden of injury, identify gaps in care and develop interventions to improve emergency care and quality.
Objective
Design, develop and test the feasibility of implementing an innovative electronic trauma registry, with capacity to link hospital systems at local, regional, national, and international levels.
Methods
A multi-disciplinary team: a medical director, program coordinator, statistician and information technology staff designed an electronic registry with a quality control system containing 250 data elements for comprehensive injury surveillance from prehospital phase through discharge from hospital, based on ICD-10 coding and injury severity scores (AIS, ISS, RTS and OIS). Pre-specified basic reports and advanced customizable reporting were set up to allow analysis. The registry was created in multiple languages, with capacity to link across hospitals and is accessible online via computers or mobile devices or through software installation where there is no internet.
Results
The registry and a standardized emergency department form were implemented across nine hospitals in three countries: Ecuador, Colombia and Panama, as a pilot program. Implementation included a week-long session on basic epidemiology and injury surveillance, monitoring and evaluation, and quality improvement, for clinicians, hospital administrators and data entry personnel. Since implementation, a total of 28,698 injured patients have been entered into the registry across the nine sites: 6911 in Ecuador at five hospitals; 20,795 in Colombia across three hospitals; and 992 in Santo Tomas Hospital in Panama. Site-specific analysis is under way.
Discussion
Better data on the need and quality of injury care in resource-constrained settings is essential. Investment in innovative and modifiable health informatics technology will provide more reliable information and allow more effective planning and resource-allocation.
Learning Areas:
Administration, management, leadershipCommunication and informatics
Epidemiology
Public health administration or related administration
Public health or related public policy
Public health or related research
Learning Objectives:
Explain key components of design of a global trauma registry
Keyword(s): International Health, Data Collection and Surveillance
Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I helped write up the project.
Any relevant financial relationships? No
I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.