title: Through the looking glass: 21st century trauma registry innovations.
abstract: Trauma registries can be invaluable tools for improving quality of care and monitoring patient outcomes, but many function below their full potential. Reliance on low-tech, manual data management methods, such as the retyping of demographic information, can lead to inefficiency, increased personnel costs, and potential error. One low-cost solution is a digital interface between the medical records coding database and the trauma registry, allowing the registrar to pull demographic information and ICD-9 diagnostic and procedure codes directly from a reliable source without re-keying them. We created a batch interface for that purpose, reducing the burden of manual data entry and decreasing the time needed to complete patient records in the registry. The interface has eliminated our backlog and allowed the trauma registrar to focus on creating timely reports to track quality indicators.
authors.affiliation: St. Joseph Mercy Hospital, Rm. 1B 82 (E), PO Box 995, Ann Arbor, MI 48106-0995, USA. waltermr@trinity-health.org
authors.forename: Madonna R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Walters
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Huehl
authors.forename: Kimberly
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fuller
mesh_terms: D015982:Bias; D003195:Computer Communication Networks / Q000458:organization & administration*; D016288:Computer Terminals; D003625:Data Collection / Q000379:methods / Q000639:trends; D004059:Diffusion of Innovation; D017598:Efficiency, Organizational; D005544:Forecasting; D006801:Humans; D038801:International Classification of Diseases; D008498:Medical Record Linkage / Q000379:methods*; D016347:Medical Records Systems, Computerized / Q000458:organization & administration*; D008824:Michigan; D009104:Multiple Trauma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration; D011159:Population Surveillance / Q000379:methods; D012042:Registries; D013997:Time Factors; D017749:Total Quality Management / Q000458:organization & administration; D014193:Trauma Centers / Q000458:organization & administration; D014194:Traumatology / Q000458:organization & administration