Designing the Minimum Data Set for Orthopedic Injuries

Background: Orthopedic injuries are the most common types of injuries. To identify the main causes of injuries, collecting data in the standard manner at the national level are needed, which justifies necessity of making a minimum data set. The aim of this study was
designing a minimum data set for orthopedic injuries.
Methods: This research was applied and performed in a descriptive and cross-sectional manner in 2013. Data collected from hospitals affiliated to Tehran University of Medical Sciences that had orthopedic department, insurance, medico-legal and emergency
centers, and so internet and library. Research documents were orthopedic injury records in 2012 and documents that retrieved from the internet. Records with Random sampling by S22-S99 categories from ICD_10 were selected, and the related Internet sourced data was evaluated entirely. Data collected using a checklist. In order to make a consensus about the data elements the Delphi technique was applied, using a questionnaire. The content validity of questionnaire was assessed using expert’s opinions and reliability by test-retest method.
Results: A minimum data set of orthopedic injuries divided into two categories: administrative with six classes including 142 data elements, and clinical with 17 classes including 250 data elements.

Conclusions: This study showed that some of the essential data elements that were in other country’s MDS or required for organizations and health care providers was not included. So a complete list of a minimum set of data elements was created. Existence of comprehensive data about the causes and mechanisms of injuries enables public health policy-makers to be informed about injuries occurrence, and taking rationale measures to deal with these problems.