Improving injury surveillance data quality: a study based on hospitals contributing to the Victorian Emergency Minimum Dataset

Abstract

ObjectiveIn this paper, we describe the design and baseline data of a study aimed at improving injury surveillance data quality of hospitals contributing to the Victorian Emergency Minimum Dataset (VEMD). MethodsThe sequential study phases include a baseline analysis of data quality, direct engagement and communication with each of the emergency department (ED) hospital sites, collection of survey and interview data and ongoing monitoring. ResultsIn 2019/20, there were 371,683 injury‐related ED presentations recorded in the VEMD. Percentage unspecified, the indicator of (poor) data quality, was lowest for ‘body region’ (2.7%) and ‘injury type’ (7.4%), and highest for ‘activity when injured’ (29.4%). In the latter, contributing hospitals ranged from 3.0–99.9% unspecified. The ‘description of event’ variable had a mean word count of 10; 16/38 hospitals had a narrative word count of <5. ConclusionsBaseline hospital injury surveillance data vary vastly in data quality, leaving much room for improvement and justifying intervention as described. Implications for public healthHospital engagement and feedback described in this study is expected to have a marked effect on data quality from 2021 onwards. This will ensure that Victorian injury surveillance data can fulfil their purpose to accurately inform injury prevention policy and practice.