The NTDS Data Dictionary provides over 50 definitions that can be implemented by a trauma registry system.
National data elements are defined that must be collected for the National Trauma Database and TQIP, but additional data elements should be considered for use at the state and hospital levels depending on each state or local hospital’s needs.
The 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.
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.
The NTDB Data Standard will be useful in:
The NTDB NTDS has two primary goals and objectives:
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—10th Anniversary of the NTDS
The dataset will provide a business model for the injury community. This model will help develop:
The dataset will allow hospitals to:
The dataset promotes the importance of trauma care in the health care system by:
The dataset will help:
The dataset will provide opportunities for improvement of current disaster policies, procedures, and preparedness by:
The dataset will provide access to a national trauma database and Trauma Quality Improvement Program, which will:
COVID-19 has the potential to affect trauma patients, so the NTDS has established an approach to reporting COVID-19. Watch a short presentation about why and how COVID-19 should be reported for trauma patients.