As part of the annual World Rescue Challenge (WRC), a recent webinar was organized to address key topics surrounding trauma care and extrication, particularly in emergency medical services (EMS), who frequently deal with these issues as part of their daily activities.
The webinar highlighted how countries can benefit from sharing data collection methods, especially related to trauma and spinal injuries.
European Standardization: Experts emphasized that standardizing data collection across Europe could lead to better care. Drawing inspiration from the Nemesis Project in the USA and Germany’s trauma registry, speakers suggested creating a European trauma registry. This would require clear guidelines and initially focus on trauma numbers.
GDPR Restrictions: Data collection faces challenges due to privacy laws, particularly GDPR, which limits sharing identifiable patient information.
Organizational Resistance: Attendees discussed how reluctance to share proprietary data—sometimes driven by organizational "ego"—can hinder collaboration across borders.
Incentives for Data Sharing: Proposed solutions included offering rewards or credits to countries that contribute high-quality data, encouraging more open and transparent data sharing.
Adapt Existing Systems: Instead of creating new data systems from scratch, experts suggested enhancing current frameworks to improve data collection.
Basic Data Collection Apps: A simple data collection application could be developed, with limited parameters accessible to healthcare leaders, to streamline the process.
Collaborations with Car Manufacturers: The use of crash data, including impact force and airbag deployment, could provide valuable insights. However, this would require partnerships with car manufacturers, which could be hindered by commercial interests.
Telemetry Use in Remote Areas: The use of telemetry to collect data in regions like the Azores was also discussed, though privacy concerns surrounding patient information must be addressed.
Quality Indicators: Similar to cardiac arrest registries, the implementation of quality indicators would help assess data and provide measurable improvements in care.
National and Regional Competitions: To boost data quality, countries could be ranked based on their data contributions, and competitions between EMS providers or hospitals could foster a culture of excellence.
Feedback Mechanisms: A report distributed in Lisbon illustrated how feedback motivates healthcare workers by acknowledging their contributions and impact on patient outcomes.
Global Models and Initiatives: Examples from Romania's DSU, which already centralizes pre-hospital and hospital data, were highlighted as successful models. Additionally, the idea of incorporating telemetry and pre-crash data from vehicles was discussed as a way to improve trauma analysis, though this would require collaboration with car manufacturers.
The creation of a European-wide trauma registry could unify data collection efforts, enhance patient care outcomes, and encourage collaborative research. Overcoming privacy barriers, incentivizing data-sharing, and learning from international best practices could set a new standard for healthcare data management across Europe. The webinar served as a crucial step in addressing these challenges and fostering global cooperation in trauma care and extrication.