In the United States, as many as 35% of trauma patients who die do so because optimal acute care is not available. Despite evidence that trauma care systems save lives, existing systems serve only one-fourth of the U.S. population.

Future Steps

There is much we don't know about the effectiveness of trauma care systems. Further evaluation is needed to better define their benefits and costs to society, to provide operational guidance for system planners, and to furnish practical measures for evaluating system performance.

The Health Resources and Services Administration has lead federal responsibility for trauma care systems. However, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), with its experience working with data systems, is well-positioned to make significant contributions in this critical public health area. With additional resources, CDC can help set research priorities, provide technical assistance for research programs, and translate new findings into practical measures and methods for evaluating trauma care systems.

CDC has helped develop tracking systems for detecting patient safety issues such as hospital-acquired infections. The Injury Center has the expertise needed to help extend these tracking and monitoring activities to injuries occurring in health care settings. With appropriate resources, Injury Center staff could work with other CDC professionals and with federal partners to develop operational definitions of specific types of patient injuries and incorporate them into tracking and reporting systems at the institutional, local, state, and national levels.

What Is a Trauma Care System?

A trauma care system is an organized effort, coordinated by a state or local agency, to deliver the full spectrum of care (from acute care to rehabilitation) to injured persons in a defined geographic area. Such a system requires specially trained practitioners as well as adequate resources, equipment, and support personnel. Trauma care systems are in various stages of development, implemen- tation, and evaluation, nationwide.