The National Trauma Data Standard (NTDS) is an effort to standardize the data in the National Trauma Data Bank (NTDB).
The NTDS standardizes trauma registry data collection to improve patient care and trauma training as well as define a standard on which to measure care. Hospitals across the United States are able to share the key elements of their data collection nationally.
NTDS Is a Standardized Dataset
For all practical purposes, the Data Standard (formerly known as the National Trauma Registry or NTR) is a dataset defining standardized data elements collected by the American College of Surgeons (ACS) within the NTDB and ACS Trauma Quality Improvement Program (TQIP). This standardized dataset includes only core variables that would prove useful if aggregated on a national level.
Each individual hospital trauma registry will likely collect additional variables important to patient care. However, the NTDB Data Standard should be collected by all hospitals and submitted to the NTDB. The NTDB is the national repository used to store trauma data from potentially every state in the U.S.
This specific dataset was developed to help hospitals and states collect more comparable elements and aid them in submitting their data to the NTDB and TQIP.
Why Create a Standardized Dataset?
The NTDB Data Standard will be useful in:
- Developing nationwide trauma benchmarks
- Evaluating hospital and trauma systems patient outcomes
- Facilitating research efforts
- Determining national trends in trauma care
- Addressing resources for disaster and domestic preparedness
- Providing valuable information on other issues or areas of need related to trauma care
Goals and Objectives
The NTDB NTDS has two primary goals and objectives:
- Implement an electronic trauma registry system in every local hospital that can collect and use data based on the dataset standard.
- Implement a national trauma database that can receive and use a portion of the state and territorial trauma registry via the XML standard.
Other Objectives
- Simple and convenient electronic database submission process
- Centralized processes and interstate-based tools
- Central repository
- Establishment of good development tools
- Publication of the database to researchers
- The improvement of patient outcomes
History of the NTDS
1989—National Trauma Data Bank Established
The Board of Regents of the ACS committed significant resources to establish the NTDB.
1995—Original NTDB Elements Defined
The ACS Committee on Trauma (COT) convened a consensus conference with the ATS, HRSA, NHTSA, CDC, and representatives from all trauma registry programs to define the NTDB data elements.
1997—First Call for NTDB Data
1999—Database Analysis
2001—First NTDB Annual Report Released
2002—Rapid Growth of the NTDB
2003—Expanded Web Presence
2004—One-Million Record Mark
The NTBD reaches the one-million record mark and begins a project on data element standardization.
2005—National Sample Project
The NTDB and the CDC collaborate on the National Sample Project.
2006—New Data Dictionary Released
The NTDB releases the National Trauma Data Standard (formerly National Trauma Registry) data dictionary, developed in collaboration with HRSA, state trauma managers, trauma registry vendors, and other stakeholders in the trauma community.
2007—NTDS Data Collection Commenced
2009—TQIP Pilot Launched
2010—TQIP Began
2012—TQIP Process Measures Added
2014—First NTDS Pilot Project
2014—Five-Million Records Mark Surpassed
2015—Piloted Fields Added
2015—Aligned Hospital Complications and Co-Morbid Conditions
Began aligning Hospital Complications and Co-Morbid Conditions with external sources to assist in the standardization of data collection and reporting.
2017—Will Celebrate 10th Anniversary of the NTDS