Improving Trauma Data Quality in Rwanda: A Prospective Assessment of Registry Completeness and Accuracy

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Health Informatics
• Quality Improvement Science

Background:

• High-quality trauma data is crucial for effective decision-making in healthcare.
• Trauma registries in low- and middle-income countries often face challenges with data completeness and accuracy.
• Rwanda sought to improve its trauma registry system to enhance data reliability.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the quality of trauma registry data in Rwandan hospitals.
• To describe a coordinated implementation package designed to improve trauma registry completeness and accuracy.
• To evaluate the impact of a quality improvement initiative on trauma data.

Main Methods:

• A prospective, longitudinal quasi-experimental quality improvement study was conducted.
• Data were collected monthly across eight hospitals in Rwanda over a two-year period (October 2023 - September 2025).
• Key data quality indicators (case missingness, variable missingness, variable accuracy) were assessed using a standardized protocol.

Main Results:

• A total of 26,268 trauma cases were analyzed.
• Significant monthly improvements were observed: case missingness decreased by 0.72%, variable missingness by 0.33%, and variable accuracy increased by 0.25%.
• Statistical models confirmed these temporal trends in data quality enhancement.

Conclusions:

• A coordinated, bundled quality improvement process, guided by Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycles, led to substantial improvements in trauma registry completeness and accuracy in Rwanda.
• The study highlights the effectiveness of a structured approach to enhancing health data quality in resource-limited settings.
• Results indicate associations over time, acknowledging the uncontrolled nature and bundled interventions of the study.