Measuring trauma center injury prevention activity: an assessment and reporting tool.
OBJECTIVE
To develop an assessment and reporting tool for a trauma center's community partnership strategy to deliver injury prevention programs in a large metropolitan area.


METHODS
The tool was designed to track prevention activity and serve as a reporting format for the parent health system, county designating agency, and the American College of Surgeons' Trauma Center Verification Process. The tool collected data including trauma center paid and volunteer personnel time, equipment, resource, and financial costs, community group and public agency contributions, number of community members receiving prevention material or presentations, impact on public policy, and print and broadcast media coverage. These measurements were incorporated in a reporting grid format. Six youth injury prevention programs were evaluated over a recent 2-year interval to demonstrate the tool's usefulness.


RESULTS
Of six programs, three focused on motor vehicle injuries, one on teen suicide, one on firearm injuries, and one on drug and alcohol abuse. Trauma Center personnel asset allocation included 3% full-time equivalent by the Trauma Medical Director, 30% by the Injury Prevention and Community Outreach Coordinator, and 473 person hours (both work and volunteer) by physicians, nurses, and other personnel. Trauma Center equipment and fixed asset expenses totaled $3,950 and monetary contribution totaled $4,430. Community groups and public agencies contributed 20,400 person hours with estimated in-kind costs exceeding $750,000. Five of the six programs continued during the 2-year period. A gun-lock giveaway program was suspended because of a product recall. A total of over 29,000 youth received prevention material and presentations. Four public policy initiatives and 18 Trauma Center media stories with over 50 mentions and 37 new community partnerships resulted. The reports generated were easily incorporated in the trauma center's reports to local and national organizations and agencies.


CONCLUSIONS
This assessment tool provided a detailed but concise accounting of trauma center injury prevention activity. The reports generated were effective in displaying the center's work.
Sise
Michael J
MJ
Division of Trauma, Scripps Mercy Hospital, San Diego, California 92103, USA. sise.mike@scrippshealth.org
Sise
Carol Beth
CB
D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000517:prevention & control; D000293:Adolescent; D016497:Adolescent Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D002140:California; D003153:Community Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D003159:Community-Institutional Relations / Q000191:economics / Q000592:standards; D003625:Data Collection; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D008402:Mass Media; D020380:Needs Assessment; D011322:Primary Prevention / Q000458:organization & administration; D016730:Program Development; D015397:Program Evaluation / Q000379:methods*; D015980:Public Health Practice / Q000191:economics / Q000592:standards; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000517:prevention & control; D013996:Time and Motion Studies; D014193:Trauma Centers / Q000458:organization & administration*; D014194:Traumatology / Q000458:organization & administration; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000517:prevention & control*; D014948:Wounds, Gunshot / Q000517:prevention & control; D000092864:Suicide Prevention