title: Uptake of the World Health Organization's trauma care guidelines: a systematic review.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To understand the degree to which the trauma care guidelines released by the World Health Organization (WHO) between 2004 and 2009 have been used, and to identify priorities for the future implementation and dissemination of such guidelines.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a systematic review, across 19 databases, in which the titles of the three sets of guidelines - Guidelines for essential trauma care, Prehospital trauma care systems and Guidelines for trauma quality improvement programmes - were used as the search terms. Results were validated via citation analysis and expert consultation. Two authors independently reviewed each record of the guidelines' implementation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We identified 578 records that provided evidence of dissemination of WHO trauma care guidelines and 101 information sources that together described 140 implementation events. Implementation evidence could be found for 51 countries - 14 (40%) of the 35 low-income countries, 15 (32%) of the 47 lower-middle income, 15 (28%) of the 53 upper-middle-income and 7 (12%) of the 59 high-income. Of the 140 implementations, 63 (45%) could be categorized as needs assessments, 38 (27%) as endorsements by stakeholders, 20 (14%) as incorporations into policy and 19 (14%) as educational interventions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although WHO's trauma care guidelines have been widely implemented, no evidence was identified of their implementation in 143 countries. More serial needs assessments for the ongoing monitoring of capacity for trauma care in health systems and more incorporation of the guidelines into both the formal education of health-care providers and health policy are needed.
authors: Harborview Injury Prevention and Research Center, Campus Box #356410, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98104, United States of America (USA).
authors: Lacey
authors: L
authors: LaGrone
authors: Department of Surgery, University of Washington, Seattle, USA .
authors: Kevin
authors: K
authors: Riggle
authors: Academy of Traumatology, Ahmedabad, India .
authors: Manjul
authors: M
authors: Joshipura
authors: Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana .
authors: Robert
authors: R
authors: Quansah
authors: World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland .
authors: Teri
authors: T
authors: Reynolds
authors: Department of Global Health, University of Washington, Seattle, USA .
authors: Kenneth
authors: K
authors: Sherr
authors: Harborview Injury Prevention and Research Center, Campus Box #356410, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98104, United States of America (USA).
authors: Charles
authors: C
authors: Mock
mesh_terms: D002985:Clinical Protocols; D017408:Guidelines as Topic; D006801:Humans; D014944:World Health Organization; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000628:therapy*