The Crash Injury Research and Engineering Network (CIREN) has developed a computer database and wide area network for data sharing and analysis among the current seven trauma centers. The computer data base extends NHTSA's National Automotive Sampling System with medical and trauma related variables in a relational/object database system. The medical data includes injury location details, injury subclassification systems and medical images for better bio-mechanical injury evaluation. Key data elements are migrated to a core repository so that all centers can review the status of case acquisition across the network. Cases, whole or in part, may be migrated between centers so that individual center expertise may be shared in evaluating the cause of injury. Electronic rounds where cases are reviewed simultaneously across multiple centers is possible. (A)
Abstract