Accuracy of emergency physician data collection in automobile collisions.
OBJECTIVE
Triage decisions must be based on accurate information with a valid understanding of injury patterns and their sources. Only a data base that includes both medical and collision factors can best provide the breadth of information required to achieve this goal. In the study reported here we assessed the accuracy of automobile collision data collected by emergency physicians compared with Police Accident Reports.


METHODS
Prospective study in which emergency medicine attending physicians completed questionnaires placed near the entrance to the trauma rooms in the emergency department.


METHODS
During a two-month period the emergency medicine attending physicians obtained data concerning vehicle collision factors for all automobile collisions resulting in major trauma to patients over 18 years of age who were triaged to the Emergency Department at Stanford University Hospital, a level-I trauma center. These data were then compared by one of the investigators with the data contained in Police Accident Reports, which were available for 50 of the 64 patients who met the study eligibility criteria.


RESULTS
For each automobile collision, the attending physician was asked to collect the following data: direction of impact; extrication required; ejection; type and use of restraints; deployment of an airbag; type of vehicle; reported severity (minor, moderate, or major) of impact; presence and degree of steering wheel deformation; presence and degree of intrusion into occupant compartment; estimated speed and collision type (i.e., vehicle to vehicle, to fixed object, etc.) Nearly three-fourths (74%) of all cases had at least one discrepancy when compared with the Police Accident Reports, while 46% of these had multiple discrepancies.


CONCLUSIONS
When data obtained by emergency physicians are compared with the information in Police Accident Reports, there are notable differences on several collision factors. Triage decisions must be based on accurate information with a valid understanding of injury patterns and their sources. Only a data base that includes both medical and collision factors can best provide the breadth of information required to achieve this goal.
Santana
J R
JR
Stanford University School of Medicine, CA, USA.
Martinez
R
R
D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002140:California / Q000453:epidemiology; D004282:Documentation / Q000592:standards; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000592:standards*; D006753:Hospital Records; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014218:Triage