Abstract:
We describe an electronic injury surveillance system that provides data for improving patient care and monitoring injury incidence
and distribution patterns. Patients with injuries visiting a rural Kenyan primary care center were enrolled consecutively over 14 months.
Injury information was added onto an existing medical record database that captures data for each patient visit. A new injury data
encounter form and entry screen were created that included geographical coordinates of the injury site. These coordinates were obtained
using a handheld global positioning system (GPS) device, and data were downloaded to the database and linked to each patient. We
created digital maps of injury spatial distribution using geography information systems (GIS) software and correlated injury type and
location with patients’ clinical data. A computerized medical record system, complemented by GIS technology and an injury-specific
component, presents a valuable tool for injury surveillance, epidemiology, prevention and control for communities served by a specific
health facility.
