Monitoring of the NSW trauma system 

The NSW ITIM, in partnership with NSW Ministry of Health, coordinates the monitoring of the NSW trauma system.

The pre-hospital component of the trauma system is monitored and evaluated by the Ambulance Service of NSW (ASNSW). The ASNSW report to NSW Ministry of Health on a range of agreed key performance indicators (KPI) related to trauma, including compliance with the ASNSW Protocol T1: Pre-Hospital Management of Major Trauma.

The NSW trauma services have a responsibility to monitor in-hospital patient care. This is achieved through a performance improvement program including:

• Patient care review through daily rounds
• Monitoring of KPIs
• Participation in the NSW Trauma Registry
• Morbidity and mortality reviews
• Multidiscplinary trauma committee

The NSW ITIM provides state level monitoring of the NSW trauma system through the ITIM Clinical Review Committee.

Trauma system monitoring is conducted on the moderate to critically injured patients (ISS >12) who are treated by NSW trauma services using the NSW Collector Trauma Registry (data) and on an ‘ad hoc’ case by case basis as reported to NSW ITIM by any of the NSW trauma services.

Trauma deaths are reviewed by committees at the trauma services and Local Health District trauma committees. Possibly preventable and preventable deaths are to be notified to NSW ITIM for review at the ITIM Clinical Review Committee.

NSW ITIM provides a liaison service for the NSW trauma services in obtaining the post mortem reports from the NSW Coroner, Department of Forensic Medicine, as requested.

Trauma case issues are followed up with the different agencies to obtain full input and information for review of the case and the outcomes are notified to the reporting trauma service.

Root Cause Analysis (RCA) – NSW ITIM is invited on an ‘ad-hoc’ basis to participate with trauma RCA’s by the LHD Clinical Governance Units.

See also

• ITIM Clinical Review Committee
• NSW trauma system