Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Surveillance Project

Staff members at the Utah Department of Health have been conducting spinal cord injury (SCI) and traumatic brain injury (TBI) surveillance as part of a CDC-funded TBI Surveillance Project since the late 1990s. The state is one of only 12 in the nation to have such a project.

The objective of the surveillance is to determine when, where, why and how Utahns are sustaining these devastating injuries. The goal is to use this information to develop primary prevention strategies (using seat belts, wearing helmets, etc.) and to impact secondary prevention efforts to lessening the severity of health problems related to brain and spinal cord injury).

The surveillance team uses the data to develop teaching resources for driver education classes, doctors, and other health care providers. Program staffers actively promote helmet use for many outdoor activities, including snow skiing, biking, mountain climbing, skateboarding, inline skating and even sledding.

Utah hospitals are required by law to submit discharge data to the health department. The data are compiled and analyzed by surveillance specialists who review the medical record of all patients identified with SCI and a sample of those with TBI. Other sources of information include rehabilitation center records, police and traffic reports, death certificates and medical examiner reports.

The TBI analyst abstracts records and completes a form for each patient. The form provides demographics, diagnoses, cause of injury, injury locale, and other variables related to the nature of the injury. The results are put into a “summary analysis” – essentially a report of findings. The report is sent to the CDC to assist with the development of national data, and is also used for local injury prevention programs.

Please contact us for more information.