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DS 8 Develop Guidelines for Reporting Sensitive Data in Drowning Cases

Key area

Data Surveillance

Develop and implement guidance on standardized assessment and reporting of sensitive data like alcohol, medication, and drug use in drowning victims, those who were supervising the victim, and boat operators involved in drowning incidents.

Spectrum level: Changing Organizational Practices

Evidence level: Low

Implementation levels: National State

Rationale:

Standardized information gathering allows public health to monitor prevention strategies and evaluate programs to prevent future drownings. Measuring the impact of these infrastructure improvements is difficult; however, gains in drowning reduction are hampered without such improvements.

Anticipated Impact:

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

  • Standardized information gathering around alcohol and drug use allows public health to monitor prevalence and effects of prevention strategies and programs to prevent future drownings.

Evidence:

There is evidence that standardized data collection has been successful in shaping injury prevention policies and programs.

Evidence Sources:

Evidence to support standardized efforts include:

CDC. Sudden Unexpected Death Surveillance Guidelines https://www.cdc.gov/sids/pdf/508suidiguidelinessingles_tag508.pdf

National Highway Safety Transportation Administration Fatality Analysis Reporting System https://www.nhtsa.gov/crash-data-systems/fatality-analysis-reporting-system#:~:text=The%20Fatality%20Analysis%20Reporting%20System%20%28FARS%29%2C%20which%20became,a%20nonoccupant%20within%2030%20days%20of%20the%20crash.

National Highway Safety Transportation Administration - Model Minimum Uniform Crash Criteria https://www.ghsa.org/sites/default/files/publications/files/MMUCC5thEdweb.pdf

National Center for Fatality Review and Prevention Case Form https://www.ncfrp.org/wp-content/uploads/NCRPCD-Docs/CDRPrintCase_v4-1.pdf

High Risk Populations Addressed:

All populations can benefit from implementation of this recommendation.

Evaluation Metrics:

Indicators of long-term impact:

  • Implementation of standardized minimum data set at national, state, county or local levels

Indicators of intermediate impact:

  • A minimum data set at the national level is developed
  • Training on implementation is developed
  • Legislation to support implementation is passed

Indicators of initial impact:

  • A multidisciplinary group of experts to develop minimum data set is conveyed to develop minimum data set, development of training materials, number of trainings held, number of laws/policies passed in support of use

Implementation:

Consider the following to ensure successful implementation:

  • Collaborate to develop a comprehensive but not burdensome standard minimum data set, advocate legislation, develop and implement training, implement cross-agency collaboration for data collection, and develop a process for data dissemination for research and evaluation.
  • Standardized data collection across jurisdictions to allow compilation (drowning is a scientifically rare event) and comparison.
  • Develop at the national level.

Challenges to Implementation:

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

  • Resources to develop and promote a standardized data set may be lacking.
  • Resources to provide training to implement any developed data set may be limited.
  • Time and resources for investigation may be lacking.
  • Scoop and run process may not support the time needed for EMS to collect data.
  • Witnesses may be reluctant to share info
  • Current capacity and desire to collect alcohol and drug use on drowning victims (especially nonfatal) and their supervisors (like parents) may be limited.
  • Systems may be fractured (different stakeholders have access to different data – need to be compiled)
  • Infrastructure at the state, county, and local levels to implement and support may be limited.

Potential Facilitators:

The following factors might facilitate the implementation of this recommendation.

  • Other similar efforts, like those around Sudden Unexpected Infant Death Investigation, have been successful and would be good models for the standardization of a data collection tool to be used in drowning investigations.

GAP Recommendation:

None