15-12. Reduce hospital emergency department visits caused by injuries.

Operational Definition

National Data Source:

National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NHAMCS), CDC, NCHS.

State Data Source:

Not identified.

Healthy People 2000 Objective:

Not applicable.

Measure:

Rate per 1,000 population (age adjusted—see Comments).

Baseline:

131 (1997).

Numerator:

Number of emergency department visits due to injury or poisoning.

Denominator:

Number of persons.

Population Targeted:

U.S. civilian, noninstitutionalized population.

Questions Used To Obtain the National Data:

From the 1997-98 National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey:

-- Is this visit related to injury or poisoning?

-- Cause of injury.

Describe events that preceded injury (e.g., reaction to penicillin, wasp sting, driver in motor vehicle traffic accident involving collision with parked vehicle, shot with a handgun during a brawl, etc.)

Patient’s complaint(s), symptoms, or other reason(s) for this visit.

1. Most important _____________________________
2. Other ____________________________________
3. Other ____________________________________


Physician’s diagnoses for this visit.

1. Primary diagnosis __________________________
2. Other ____________________________________
3. Other ____________________________________

Expected Periodicity:

Annual.

Comments:

An emergency department visit was considered to be related to injury if “yes” was checked in the first question above or if a cause of injury, a nature of injury diagnosis, or an injury-related reason for visit coded to first listed ICD-9-CM codes E800-E869, E880-E929, E950-E999 was reported in the response to the other questions above.

Data are age adjusted to the 2000 standard population. Age-adjusted rates are weighted sums of age-specific rates.

Description of Age Adjustment

Description of the NHAMCS

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