System, Report Sensitivity and Data Quality of the Injury Surveillance System, Ratchaburi Province, Thailand

Abstract

Since 1993 when an injury surveillance system was established in Thailand, the central Ratchaburi Province has been consistently ranked high for traffic injuries. This study aimed to describe the operation and usefulness of the injury surveillance system at Ratchaburi Provincial Hospital, and assess the sensitivity and quality of the surveillance data. The study was carried out among the injured people who visited the emergency room and/or were admitted to Ratchaburi Hospital in 2011, including those who died upon or before arrival at the hospital. Data were collected from log books, the hospital database and interviews with key informants. The sensitivity of reports in the system revealed as 93.2% for injured patients, 71.3% for deaths upon arrival, and 67.7% for deaths before arrival. Of 33 variables assessed for data accuracy, 24 (72.2%) did not pass the standard of 90%, including age, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, pulse rate, respiratory rate, blunt/penetrating injury, diagnosis, region of injury, and severity of injury. The data were used for planning purposes and to conduct a trauma audit conference. In summary, the injury surveillance system at Ratchaburi Hospital was deemed to have a high sensitivity for detecting injured patients, yet low sensitivity for those dying before being assessed. To improve the sensitivity of reporting dead cases and quality of data, the hospital was recommended to provide annual trainings for personnel working for the surveillance system.