Developing an international minimum data set for burn registries: Delphi study for A Burns Common Data Element Minimum Data Set (ABCDE-MDS)

This study will use expert consensus using a Delphi process to develop an international minimum data set for burn injuries. This would be a list of variables (information) that should be collected about every patient who presents to a hospital with a burn injury around the world. By standardising the variables collected about patients, it means that data could be compared around the world to inform prevention strategies and patient outcomes internationally.

Our previous work has shown that significant amounts of burn injury data are collected about patients internationally, but this is primarily from high-income countries. The data collected by different countries varies greatly and cannot be compared (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.burns.2024.01.004). The majority of global burn injuries occur in low- and middle-income countries, with particularly high rates amongst women in India. However, there is no national registry in India (or other South Asian countries), which limits prevention activities. A registry using consistent variables with clear definitions is essential in developing effective prevention, for example to distinguish accident, self-inflicted and homicidal burns.

This Delphi study project is a direct continuation of the PhD work. It would primarily be for the benefit of India and other DAC nations. It would ensure that the international minimum data set for burn injuries suits the needs of all resource settings, not just high-income countries.

It is likely that this Delphi study will lead to future acquisition of large international grants that will have significant impact beyond academia. These would be for conducting field trials of the variables in different settings (i.e. low-, middle-, and high-income countries), and development of an international dashboard to allow inter-country comparisons.