Research recommendations and proposed action items to facilitate trauma system implementation and evaluation.

The contemporary movement to ensure that health care delivery systems and rendered services be evidence-based suggests that research evaluating trauma system efficacy should be held to a new standard. In 1998, nationally recognized leaders in trauma system care gathered at the Academic Symposium to Evaluate Evidence Regarding the Effectiveness of Trauma Systems in Skamania, Washington. A primary purpose of this academic meeting was to devise research recommendations that, if adopted, would provide substantial and appropriate evidence of trauma system performance. In addition, "action items" were constituted which intend to facilitate a focused effort among federal agencies, professional organizations, and private foundations in forwarding the evaluation, prevention, and treatment of injury in America. This document contains the conclusions reached by this multidisciplinary group of experts. The intent of this document is to garner support for a focused effort to enhance the quality and depth of understanding regarding the treatment of injury.