Anatomy of a statewide trauma registry.

The Pennsylvania Trauma Systems Foundation has existed for five years. A concept that in 1984 seemed like a futuristic dream has been accomplished. Standards for trauma center accreditation have been developed, and trauma centers are accredited in a fair, unbiased, and systematic manner. Pennsylvania's voluntary system could not have succeeded without the full support of the hospital, medical, and nursing communities. Trauma centers are not edifices alone; the commitment of the institutions and their personnel was phenomenal. Pennsylvania has the largest and most comprehensive trauma registry in terms of complete data compliance in the United States. Data collected have been used for quality assurance, the accreditation process, and trauma prevention and research. The commitment by medical record professionals to develop and maintain individual hospital trauma registries as well as the PTSF trauma registry has been enormous. The future of trauma system development in Pennsylvania lies in the data collection system and the research in trauma systems and trauma care that is generated from the database.