How Do Hospital-Specific Data Dictionaries Impact Competency Level With Data Collection: A National Survey.

Area of Science:

• Trauma Care
• Health Informatics
• Data Management

Background:

• Trauma registry staff require high-quality data for program requirements.
• Hospital-specific data dictionaries are emerging tools for accurate data collection.
• The impact of these dictionaries on trauma registry team competency is not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate if a hospital-specific data dictionary influences self-reported competency in data abstraction among trauma service teams.
• To assess the effect on abstracting both required and nonrequired data elements.

Main Methods:

• An anonymous, cross-sectional survey was distributed to trauma registry personnel.
• The survey, featuring a 0-100 visual sliding scale, measured self-reported competence and related factors.
• Data were collected from July to September 2020 via professional society and trauma news outlets.

Main Results:

• 881 respondents from 495+ centers completed the survey; 79% were from Level I or II trauma programs.
• Factors associated with high data collection competence included trauma center verification level, tenure, and the presence of a hospital-specific data dictionary.
• The hospital-specific data dictionary was a significant factor in staff feeling competent.

Conclusions:

• Trauma centers should implement hospital-specific data dictionaries.
• These dictionaries are associated with increased competence among trauma registry staff.
• Utilizing these resources can enhance the quality of trauma registry data.