CRASH-EMS Traffic Records Integration

We will link the CRASH database for 2014 from Kentucky State Police with the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) database for 2014 from the Kentucky Board of EMS and the hospital inpatient and emergency department databases for 2014 from the Kentucky Office of Health Policy. We will also link CRASH, hospital inpatient and ED databases for 2013. This is essentially a project to expand traffic records linkages formerly done under the NHTSA CODES project to include the EMS database. The justification for this project comes from the 2012 KY Traffic Records Assessment. Specifically, Section 1-C on Data Integration recommends increasing traffic records integration by "Develop additional linked datasets including merged data sets for crash, roadway, injury surveillance, citation/adjudication, vehicle, and driver information." Also, the Major Recommendations for the Statewide Injury Surveillance System (SWISS) component of the traffic records system include the following: "Coordinate with Kentucky Traffic Records Advisory Committee to secure funding to continue the Crash Outcome Data Evaluation System program once NHTSA’s financial support ends. There are several known benefits of integrating the CRASH and EMS data systems. (1) Improve accuracy of linkage of CRASH records with hospital inpatient, emergency department, and trauma registry data systems, particularly for patients who are transported between hospitals. (2) Improve knowledge of injury severity by adding information on Glasgow Coma Scale and vital signs (pulse, blood pressure, respiratory rate) that is not included on inpatient and ED electronic records. (3) Potentially improve knowledge about safety device use such as motorcycle helmets. (4) Improve knowledge about pre-existing health and medical conditions that might have played a contributing role in the crash. (5) Add capability of analyzing transport patterns for trauma system analyses. E.g. are patients being transported appropriately according to recommended protocols, etc. There will likely be additional benefits that come to light after the CRASH and EMS data systems are linked.