Improving theScope and Quality of Kentucky Trauma Data

The 2012 Traffic Record Assessment report made a major recommendation that the Statewide Injury Surveillance System “[i]ncrease the number of hospitals reporting to the trauma registry." (Section 2-F) While we have made major steps forward, the number of reporting facilities is still too low to provide a complete account of severe trauma across the state. However, a growing number of hospitals have expressed interest in trauma system participation. We have the opportunity to add 9 new reporting entities, including one major south central Kentucky hospital, making a total of at least 29 providing data to the Kentucky Trauma Registry (KTR). Funding is requested to (1) provide modest first-year financial support for facilities that seek Level III or IV status within the state's trauma system, allowing them to connect with the online reporting network; (2) update and expand the software for the state’s reporting system; (3) support essential staff travel to attend in-state meetings; and (4) provide the analytical expertise necessary to produce the annual KTR report to the Kentucky General Assembly as well as ad hoc reports requested to address specific areas of concern