Operational since 1987, North Carolina has 14 hospitals submitting data on trauma patients to the North Carolina Trauma Registry (NCTR). Twelve of these facilities are designated trauma centers by the state of North Carolina as level I, II, or III and two are non-designated.
The North Carolina Office of Emergency Services (NCOEMS) maintains the NCTR and requires all state designated trauma centers to submit data, achieving the overall mission of collecting information on the injured patients in North Carolina for the purposes of performance improvement, outcomes measurement, resource utilization, injury prevention, and clinical research.
The following resources relate to consistency, accuracy, and validation of data across the state of North Carolina.
Chart Selection for State and ACS/State Site Visits (PDF, 44 KB)
A document outlining general information and guidelines for the process of chart selection for the state and ACS/State site visits process was created to provide a timeline and improve efficiency for the state as well as the facilities.
Data Validation Tool
Developed by a group of North Carolina registrars, the Data Validation Tool was designed to aid with the standardization of a data validation process to assure reliable and accurate trauma registry data.
Trauma Registry Group of N.C. Co-morbidity Screen Algorithm (PDF, 194 KB)
Developed by the Trauma Registry Group of N.C., this algorithm is a guideline to assist the registrars entering co-morbidities into the trauma registry. It identifies which primary NTDS value should be entered based upon whether the patient has no co-morbidities or has no NTDS value co-morbidities. This guideline is in reference to the NTDS Data Dictionary and NTRACS.
Trauma Registry Group of N.C. Complication Screen Algorithm (PDF, 169 KB)
NTRACS Complication Codes 2010 (PDF, 30 KB)
As a resource tool for entering complications into the trauma registry, the Trauma Registry Group of N.C. implemented this algorithm to identify the primary NTDS value based upon whether the patient has no complications or has no NTDS value complication. This algorithm references the NTDS Data Dictionary and NTRACS 1999 Complication List.
Trauma Registry Group of N.C. Emergency Department Assessment 1 Glasgow Coma Score (GCS) and Respiratory Rate (RR) Qualifier (PDF, 130 KB)
For those patients arriving at a facility with an artificial airway, this algorithm identifies sedative vs. paralytic medications for the purpose of determining the legitimacy of the GCS and RR. This algorithm was also developed by the North Carolina trauma registrars and references the medication listings of NTRACS.
Digital Innovation, Inc. (DI) provides the software and tech support for the NCTR.
The NCOEMS will host a webinar or phone conference monthly. The goal is to provide education and resources for trauma registrars, as well as other trauma staff members, to enhance the consistency and reliability of data in the NCTR. For further information please contact Amy Douglas, R.N. Trauma Systems Manager, 919-855-3953 or email Amy.Douglas@dhhs.nc.gov.
None scheduled at this time.
