Injury severity: better data through direct physician entry of anatomic injuries?

The authors compared the injury diagnoses and Injury Severity Scores (ISSs) generated by three data-collection and -coding methods, and examined the times needed and costs associated with the methods. One method involved direct electronic entry of injury data by a physician in the admitting area. Codes, severity scores, and times and costs varied significantly with the different methods, thus suggesting a need for further study of the derivation of injury severity codes.