Wisconsin Trauma Registry
The Wisconsin Trauma Registry contains injury information from patients presenting to local hospitals (both trauma-classified and non-classified hospitals).
This data collection effort is a way to improve patient care, to provide trauma training, and to define a standard on which to measure care.
Wisconsin Admin. Code § DHS 118.09 provides the authority for the Department of Health Services to collect and analyze trauma system data to evaluate the delivery of adult and pediatric trauma care, develop injury prevention strategies for all ages, and provide resources for research and education.
Wisconsin Admin. Code § DHS 118.09(3) directs all hospitals, ambulance service providers and first responder services to submit data to the department on a quarterly basis determined by the department.
Trauma Registry portals
- ImageTrend Trauma Registry, admissions 2016 to present
- Trauma Registry Access Form for new users, F-01885 (PDF)
- Trauma Registry Access Form For Additional Facilities on Existing Account, F-03191 (PDF)
For assistance, contact the DHS Trauma Team at DHSTrauma@dhs.wisconsin.gov, or the ImageTrend Support Team at support@imagetrend.com or 888-730-3255.
Wisconsin Trauma Registry schedule
The deadlines for data submission into the Wisconsin Trauma Registry are listed below. It is recommended that data records be entered into the registry as close to the discharge date as possible. Best practice is to complete and submit 80% of trauma records within 60 days of patient discharge.
| Quarter | Patient's date of discharge | Data submission due date |
|---|---|---|
| Quarter 1 | January 1–March 31 | May 31 |
| Quarter 2 | April 1–June 30 | August 31 |
| Quarter 3 | July 1–September 30 | November 30 |
| Quarter 4 | October 1–December 31 | February 28 |
Resources
- 2025 Wisconsin State Trauma Registry Data Dictionary, P-01117 (PDF).
- 2024 Wisconsin State Trauma Registry Data Dictionary, P-01117-2024 (PDF)
- Wisconsin State Trauma Registry Data Dictionary Change Log (PDF)
- American College of Surgeons 2023 Data Dictionary Frequently Asked Questions
- American College of Surgeons 2022 Data Dictionary Frequently Asked Questions
- American College of Surgeons 2021 Data Dictionary Frequently Asked Questions
Accounts
- How to Log In
- How to Reset a Password
- How to Unlock Accounts
- How to Create and Edit User Accounts
- How to Add Staff
Data entry
- How to Enter Demographic Information
- How to Enter Injury Information
- How to Enter Pre-Hospital Information
- How to Enter Referring Facility Information
- How to Enter ED and TTA Information
- How to Enter Initial Assessment Information
- How to Enter Ventilator and Log of Admission Information
- How to Enter Ventilator and Blood Tracking Information
- How to Enter Procedures Information
- How to Enter Diagnosis Information
- How to Understand Suggested AIS Codes
- How to Understand NTDB Validation Messages
- How to Enter Outcome Information
- How to Enter Pre-Existing and Hospital Events Information
- How to Enter Complication Information
- How to Enter PI Information
Navigating patient registry
- How to Use ImageTrend University
- How to Use the Dashboard
- How to Search for an Incident
- How to Use the Incident Toolbar
- How to Complete an Incident
- How to Delete an Incident
- How to Import an EMS Run
Reports
- How to Create an Incident
- How to Navigate Report Writer
- How to Produce Patient Summary Report
- How to Create Funnel Reports
- How to Run Data Quality Reports for Importing Facilities
- How to Export Transactional Reports
Setup
- How to Change Incident Layout View
- How to Create a Facility-defined Question
- How to Add a Facility-defined Question
- How to Create Hospital-specific PI Audits
- How to Setup Favorite PI Audits
Troubleshooting
Account information FAQ
To request a username and password for the Wisconsin Trauma Registry, contact a user with hospital administrator access to your facility.
User accounts will be suspended after ten unsuccessful password attempts or 100 days without login to the Wisconsin Trauma Registry.
Passwords can be reset using the link provided on the login screen.
The system will require entry of an email address to send a temporary password. The email account entered for this temporary password must match the email in your trauma registry account.
Data FAQ
All hospitals that provide any level of care to trauma patients must submit data to the State Trauma Registry.
Hospitals have the option to purchase their own registry software and "upload" batch reports to the state registry or they can enter data directly into Wisconsin's trauma registry at no cost to the organization.
In-house traumatic injuries sustained after initial emergency department or hospital arrival and before hospital discharge at the index hospital (the hospital reporting data), and all data associated with that injury event, are excluded.
For example, an inpatient fall from bed while admitted for a medical reason would not be included in the state registry.
The purpose of Wisconsin's Trauma Care System is to reduce death and disability resulting from traumatic injury.
The data in the trauma registry is used for performance improvement activities at the state, regional and local level.
All data sent to the State Trauma Registry is confidential and protected. Aggregate reports are designed to ensure that no single individual, hospital, or EMS provider can be identified.
In July of 2010, Wisconsin's Trauma Registry underwent several important changes:
- A new URL (web address) – the vendor is now "hosting" the registry
- A new look with several important upgrades
- A "practice environment" to develop skills and become familiar with the newer version of the product
The Wisconsin Ambulance Run Data System (WARDS) Elite is a secure, web-based reporting system used by ambulance service providers to enter and submit their ambulance run information electronically via the Internet.
Wisconsin Trauma Care Facilities will not be given direct access to the WARDS Elite database. Facilities can access EMS reports via the Hospital Hub or through the integration between the Wisconsin Trauma Registry and WARDS Elite.
For more information regarding access to the Hospital Hub, contact your local Hospital Hub administrator.
The Hospital Hub is a database for hospital personnel to have access to the pre-hospital patient care reports for those patients transported to their facility a new Hospital Hub database has been made available.
This database will allow access to both previous WARDS v.2 reports as well as the new WARDS Elite v.3 reports.
Training and updates FAQ
Release notes are available for review within ImageTrend University. Release notes include information pertaining to software updates and fixes to the Patient Registry product.
Not all updates included in the release notes will apply to the Wisconsin Trauma Registry.
Patient registry office hours
March 20, 2025, 10–11 a.m.
An open meeting for Patient Registry. These office hours will have no set agenda or topic, and viewers can join in at any time to ask questions about Patient Registry. You can register in advance for the March 20 meeting via Zoom.
May 22, 2025, 2–3 p.m.
A structured meeting for Patient Registry with time for Q&A at the end. The featured topic will be analytical tabular reports. You can register in advance for the May 22 meeting via Zoom.
July 17, 2025, 10–11 a.m.
An open meeting for Patient Registry. These office hours will have no set agenda or topic, and viewers can join in at any time to ask questions about Patient Registry. You can register in advance for the July 17 meeting via Zoom.
September 18, 2025, 2–3 p.m.
A structured meeting for Patient Registry with time for Q&A at the end. The featured topic will be analytical chart reports. You can register in advance for the September 18 meeting via Zoom.
November 13, 2025, 10–11 a.m.
An open meeting for Patient Registry. These office hours will have no set agenda or topic, and viewers can join in at any time to ask questions about Patient Registry. You can register in advance for the November 13 meeting via Zoom.
For additional educational materials, refer to ImageTrend University or State Trauma Registry staff at DHSTrauma@dhs.wisconsin.gov.
Contact the Trauma Team at DHSTrauma@dhs.wisconsin.gov for more information.