National Data Source:

State EMS Directors Survey, National Association of State EMS Directors.

State Data Source:

Not identified.

Healthy People 2000 Objective:

Not applicable.

Measure:

Number.

Baseline:

5 (1998).

Numerator:

Number of States and the District of Columbia that satisfied all eight trauma care system criteria.

Denominator:

Not applicable.

Population Targeted:

Not applicable.

Questions Used To Obtain the National Data:

From the 1998 National Association of State EMS Directors Survey of EMS directors:

- Does someone in your State have legal authority to "designate, certify, identify, or categorize" trauma centers?

- Is there a formal process to designate or otherwise identify trauma centers?

- What standards are used for designating/identifying trauma centers?

- As part of the designation process, are the trauma centers surveyed through on-site evaluations for the purpose of verifying compliance with standards?

- Is there authority to limit the number of trauma centers based on need?

- Are there written prehospital triage protocols/criteria to transport seriously injured patients directly to a trauma center, bypassing other facilities that are not trauma centers?

- Is there a process for monitoring trauma center performance?

- Does your State’s system of trauma care consist of a single statewide trauma system?

Expected Periodicity:

Annual.

Comments:

The eight criteria for State trauma care systems used in the National Association of State EMS Directors Survey of EMS directors in all 50 States and the District of Columbia are legal authority exists to designate, certify, identify, or categorize trauma centers; a formal process exists to designate or otherwise identify trauma centers; the American College of Surgeons (ACS) standards are used to designate or identify trauma centers; trauma center compliance with the ACS standards is verified through on-site evaluations; legal authority exists to limit the number of trauma centers based on the need for trauma services; existence of prehospital triage protocols for trauma patients, allowing providers to bypass nontrauma center hospitals and transport seriously injured patients directly to a trauma center; a process for monitoring trauma center performance exists; and trauma system coverage extends to the entire geographic area of the State.

Data for Tribes are developmental. The proposed data source is the Indian Health Service.

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