The Crash Outcome Data Evaluation System (CODES) project has funded seven American states to generate linked statewide data bases to evaluate the benefits of safety belts and motorcycle helmets on injury costs and morbidity outcomes. Using probabilistic linkage techniques, data describing the characteristics of the crash, vehicle, and occupant from the crash report will be linked to medical descriptions of the type of injury, body region injured, severity, dispositions, and total charges from the occupant's medical records. This paper discusses early findings on the usefulness of these linked data for examining highway safety issues as well as their shortcomings from the standpoint of data quality, standpoint of data quality, completeness, and ability to be linked. Advantages of using statewide, population-based data are also discussed. (A)
Samenvatting