WA State Trauma Registry

What is the trauma registry database?

The Western Australian State Trauma Registry monitors the function and effectiveness of the Western Australian (WA) trauma system, collecting data about trauma patients from hospitals and health care facilities throughout WA.

Trauma Registries in the WA Metropolitan Tertiary Health Campuses have been collecting data on trauma patients, to varying degrees, since August 1994, with Joondalup Health Campus commencing in January 2010.

Data is collected by dedicated ANF Level 2 research nurses/research officers with clinical backgrounds in intensive care, emergency department, trauma, clinical trials and health science.

Table: Trauma data

Until 2011, Trauma Registry data was collected individually on separate, though identical, Microsoft Access® databases.

The inter-registry staff has collaborated to ensure that data is consistently collected, in terms of data elements and interpretation, across all sites.

In 2011 all trauma registry data was combined into 1 single web-based database – the WA State Trauma Registry database.

Data is available by application for research, auditing, education presentations and numerous research projects.

The trauma registry also provides data for the strategic planning for trauma services and trauma-related clinical indicators.

Data is also provided annually to the WA Health, Western Australian Data Linkage Unit.

What do we collect?

For the purposes of the registry trauma is defined as 'an injury or wound resulting from an external force' (Miller and Keane, 1983).

The criteria for registry inclusion is all:

• major and minor trauma patients who present to a definitive hospital for treatment within 7 days of their date of trauma and who were hospitalised for greater than 24 hours at the definitive hospital
• trauma-related deaths at the definitive hospital regardless of hospital length of stay.

The population is divided in minor and major trauma admissions depending on the severity of injury:

• Major trauma admissions
  Patients who have an Injury Severity Score (ISS) of greater than 12 (or greater than 15 prior to 2017). An extensive dataset is collected on these patients, from the time of trauma to discharge from the registry hospital, including pre registry hospital treatment and state rehabilitation in line with the Australiana and New Zealand Trauma Registry (ATR).
• Minor trauma admissions
  Patients who meet the registry inclusion criteria and have an ISS of less than 13 (or less than 16 prior to 2017). A limited dataset is collected on these patients.

Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS) VERSION 2005 (2008 update) is currently in use.

More information

State Trauma Program Manager
Phone: 9224 8076
Email: RPH.Trauma@Health.wa.gov.au 

Data application requirements

Applicants will need to complete a State Trauma Registry Database request form.

The WA State Trauma Registry Data Release contract (found on the reverse side of the application form) will provide the framework to identify your data requirements.

Approval process

For general data requests, applicants should liaise with the respective data custodian.

Global data requests will be coordinated by the State Trauma Program Manager.

In certain circumstances, approval from the WA Health Human Research Ethic Committee (HREC) may be required:

• record level information, which is hospital and/or patient identifiable
• data for research and/or external publication/presentation.

Information received or accessed must only be used for the purpose under which it was approved.