Implementation of a combat casualty trauma registry

Area of Science:

• Military Medicine
• Trauma Surgery
• Health Informatics

Background:

• The Joint Theater Trauma Registry (JTTR) is a critical system for collecting combat casualty data.
• It captures standardized, retrospective data across all levels of combat care.
• Military-specific data elements enhance demographic information.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the structure and data elements of the Joint Theater Trauma Registry (JTTR), version 3.
• To highlight the JTTR's role in process improvement for combat casualty care.
• To suggest avenues for enhanced registry design through civilian-military collaboration.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective data collection from all echelons of combat casualty care.
• Inclusion of military-specific data elements such as branch, service, rank, and occupation.
• Standardized data entry into the Joint Theater Trauma Registry, version 3.

Main Results:

• The JTTR, version 3, requires extensive data collection (367+ elements) at echelon 4 facilities.
• Specialized cases like burns, deaths, or performance improvement issues involve over 450 data elements.
• The registry serves as a powerful tool for identifying areas for process improvement.

Conclusions:

• Trauma registries are essential for enhancing trauma care processes.
• Collaboration between civilian and military trauma programs can lead to improved registry design and data collection.
• The JTTR provides a robust framework for analyzing combat casualty data and driving improvements.