The Minimum Dataset and Inclusion Criteria for the National Trauma Registry of Iran: A Qualitative Study

Background Burden of injuries is an important public health problem, especially in developing countries. However, a national standard tool for data collection of trauma registry has not been developed in Iran yet. Objectives The present study aimed to describe the steps undertaken in the development of the minimum dataset (MDS) and define the inclusion and exclusion criteria for a case of trauma registry by the national trauma registry of Iran (NTRI). Methods The working group consists of sixteen elected expert representatives from seven established countrywide active trauma research centers. Following a structured extensive review of the literature, the working party identified the data variables that included key registry goals for prehospital and hospital, outcome and quality assurance information. We used data variables from three trauma registry centers: National trauma data standard questionnaire, European trauma care (UT stein version), and Sina trauma and surgery research center. Then, we performed two email surveys and three focus group discussions and adapted, modified and finally developed the optimized MDS in order to prepare the quality care registry for injured patients. Results The finalized MDS consisted of 109 data variables including demographic information (n = 24), injury information (n = 19), prehospital information (n = 26), emergency department information (n = 25), hospital procedures (n = 2), diagnosis (n = 2), injury severity (n = 3), outcomes (n = 5), financial (n = 2), and quality assurance (n = 1). For a patient sustained one or more traumatic injury in a defined diagnostic ICD10 codes, the inclusion criteria considered as one of the followings: If the patient stayed 24 hours in the hospital, any death after hospital arrival, any transfer from another hospital during the first 24 hours from injury. Conclusions This study presents how we developed the MDS in order to uniform data reporting in the NTRI and define our inclusion and exclusion criteria for trauma registry. Applying the MDS and the case definition in pilot studies are needed in next steps.