Coded Emergency Department Data System – CEDDS
Washington State Department of Health (DOH)
While the Department of Health (DOH) collects major trauma data through the statewide trauma registry system,
and collects inpatient hospitalization data through the CHARS data system, a substantial portion of traffic
injury data is not collected. These are cases seen and released for hospital emergency departments (ED).
Total charges for ED visits in Washington State are approximately $1.5 billion per year. The number of ED
visits is about 2.5 million per year. Of these admissions, approximately 90,000 are attributable to nonfatal
transport injuries that are treated and released. No information on the care and costs directly associated with
these admissions is uniformly collected by the state. This project proposes to collect those data.
The project design is multi-phased: An initial feasibility study will be followed by a demonstration project and
conclude with full implementation. Standard billing forms will constitute the primary source of data. These forms
include diagnostic and procedure data as well as core patient demographic data and ED charges. Other data collection
instruments providing more detailed clinical data may be implemented over time. While data collection will be on-going,
quarterly data reports will be generated, and each year a final data set will be release no later than six months after
the close of the year.
Designated Level I and Level II Trauma Centers will be invited to participate in the demonstration project. These
facilities constitute the largest providers of trauma and injury care. In addition, a selection of the smaller Level
III and IV hospitals will also be involved. The data collection system will be designed to minimize burdens in data
reporting and to maximize the utility of the data to both the providers and the state. In light of that goal, all ED
data – not just traffic injury data – will be reported and collected.
For nonfatal transport injuries treated and released from ED’s, this data set will represent the sole source of information
on medical care costs and outcomes. Information on the prevalence and nature of these injuries can inform traffic safety
decisions pertaining to the engineered environment (including roadways and motor vehicles), public health decisions on
priorities in injury prevention, and statewide policy makers in addressing costs associated with care. In addition, by
including all ED visits these data will constitute a strong surveillance tool for ascertaining the prevalence and geographic
distribution of emerging diseases such as diabetes and environmentally sensitive maladies such as asthma.
Additional information regarding this project is available upon request.
Project Lead: Washington State Department of Health (DOH)
Office: Center for Health Statistics
Phone Number: (360) 236-4321
Implementation Schedule: 7/2007 – 9/2010