Evaluation of road traffic mortality surveillance system, public health database in Kalasin province, fiscal year 2018

Abstract

Background: Road traffic mortality data are useful to indicate the public health problems from road traffic injury. There are 3 main reporting systems including data of the Provincial Health Office (PHO), police reports and eclaim reports. This study aimed to determine the quantitative and qualitative attributes of surveillance system evaluation of road traffic mortality in Kalasin Province.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted by combining road traffic mortality data of these 3 systems in Kalasin Province during the fiscal year 2018. These combined data were compared to those from the PHO to determine sensitivity, predictive value positive (PVP) , representativeness. Data from the PHO were compared to those in the hospital records to determine accuracy, completeness and timeliness of the surveillance system. 41 personnel involving the surveillance system from 5 of the 18 districts in the province were interviewed to determine qualitative attributes including acceptability, simplicity, flexibility, stability and usefulness.
Results A total of 304 road traffic deaths were identified from the combined 3 data systems and 235 were found in data of the PHO. The sensitivity of PHO data was 77.3% and the PVP was 100.0%. Data quality including accuracy, completeness and timeliness of the PHO was very good and could be representative in terms of age, sex, month and district of events. The interviewed personnel mostly stated that the surveillance system was acceptable, simple, flexible, stable and useful.
Conclusion: The PHO data of road traffic mortality showed good quantitative and qualitative attributes. However, the surveillance sensitivity should be increased by correcting the ICD-10 coding, regular monitoring the reporting to reduce the unreported cases, and good follow-up of the referred cases.