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DS 2 Create a National Drowning Reporting System with Linked Data Sources

Key area

Data Surveillance

Develop and implement a National Drowning Reporting System that links relevant data systems across the drowning spectrum, similar to the National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS) and Child Death Review.

Spectrum level: Changing Organizational Practices

Evidence level: High

Implementation levels: National

Rationale:

The Child Death Review and the NVDRS provide data that are important to policymakers and program planners in developing policies and programs that tailor prevention efforts. Taking a similar approach and linking relevant data systems will lead to richer data on drownings. By getting on-scene circumstance information on drownings from police report data, it will be possible to determine drowning patterns by setting and, or, circumstances and identify risk and protective factors. Knowledge of these patterns may lead to opportunities for increased awareness, policy changes, and environmental changes by setting/location (e.g., Chicago has plans for rescue stations at piers where drownings occur more frequently). Finally, linking police and medical data will connect the who, what, when, where, how and why drownings occur. The process can facilitate collection and analysis of risk factor data like alcohol/drug use among victims and/or supervisors.

Anticipated Impact:

After implementing this recommendation, you can expect to experience the following outcomes.

  • Linking relevant data sources, such as police and medical, leads to richer data on drownings.
  • Gathering on-scene circumstance information on drownings from police report data leads to better determination of drowning patterns by setting and, or, circumstances, and identification of risk and protective factors.
  • Knowledge of these patterns may lead to opportunities for increased awareness, policy changes, and environmental changes by setting and location (e.g. Chicago has plans for rescue stations at piers where drownings occur more frequently).

Evidence:

Linking police and medical records develops a more comprehensive data set than what is currently available. There is evidence to support that Child Death Reviews and National Violent Death Reporting System provide data that are important to policymakers and program planners in developing policies and programs that tailor prevention efforts.

Evidence Sources:

McCarroll, J. E., Fisher, J. E., Cozza, S. J., & Whalen, R. J. (2021). Child Maltreatment Fatality Review: Purposes, Processes, Outcomes, and Challenges. Trauma, Violence, & Abuse, 22(5), 1032-1041. https://doi.org/10.1177/1524838019900559

Nazarov, O., Guan, J., Chihuri, S. et al. Research utility of the National Violent Death Reporting System: a scoping review. Inj. Epidemiol. 6, 18 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40621-019-0196-99

Statewide Unintentional Drug Overdose Reporting System - https://sites.northwestern.edu/illinoissudors/

Sudden Unexplained Infant Death Investigation Form https://api.typeform.com/responses/files/f0fb3383e805a4824ce2395726f516940e785f818eba265219aa758bdc71f01b/SUIDIRF_508.pdf

Fatal and Nonfatal Drowning Investigation Tool https://api.typeform.com/responses/files/6304b9d5eef50848dc9298f3c954cdf8bc3c992539c688070b80e32734634268/CDCModelDrowningNearDrowningInvestigationForm0515_2015.docx

Washington State Open Water Drowning Investigation Tool https://api.typeform.com/responses/files/1cb17dad1b2c903a2f714c7c9b6efcf7f3d49d52f9030b7f524b83cb93daa284/washingtonstateopenwaterdrowningreportingtool.pdf

National Fatality Review Case Reporting System https://api.typeform.com/responses/files/bea8c2dc196291faa2b0c9e0a34dddcf48ff92edb7167cfac1363404d1c29a1f/CDR0720_2020.pdf

High Risk Populations Addressed:

All populations can benefit from implementation of this recommendation.

Evaluation Metrics:

Indicators of long-term impact:

  • Existence of a data set with a mechanism for queries readily available to academics, public health, journalists, policy makers, prevention programs and other stakeholders
  • Evidence that this type of data led to successful intervention programs

Indicators of intermediate impact:

  • Establishment of a funding mechanism, a lead agency, and advocacy network (e.g., Injury & Violence Prevention Network advocating for NVDRS)
  • Establishment of the data to be collected and a process for reporting

Indicators of initial impact:

  • Stakeholder meetings are occurring to determine processes to establish this data set and platform

Implementation:

Consider the following to ensure successful implementation:

  • Undertake this effort at the national level to ensure standardized data collection methods.
  • Ensure implementation at the state or local level (consider piloting the process in a few states first)
  • Follow models used to develop NVDRS and Fatal Analysis Reporting System (FARS) in engaging law enforcement,
  • Access national law enforcement associations and groups to support the effort.
  • Use a standardized incident form (see DS 1)
  • Use the NVDRS additional module that collects overdose deaths which could serve as a model.

Challenges to Implementation:

When implementing this recommendation, you might encounter challenges related to the following factors.

  • Compiling data using this method may be labor intensive.
  • Identifying and agreeing on what needs to be in a core data set, and what is extended information, may be challenging.

Potential Facilitators:

The following factors might facilitate the implementation of this recommendation.

  • A drowning module could potentially be added to an existing data collection method like NVDRS, CDR or FARS.
  • Consensus among public health departments, law enforcement and county coroners, and medical examiners that drownings warrant attention.

GAP Recommendation:

None