Data from trauma CQI used by automaker to improve pedestrian safety

A Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Collaborative Quality Initiative is currently supplying data that should positively affect pedestrian safety throughout Michigan, the U.S. and eventually the world.

The Michigan Trauma Quality Improvement Program, sponsored by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, worked on a Ford Motor Company grant given to the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute to study how to improve pedestrian safety. This work ultimately supported improved vehicle design and technology.

“This collaboration on pedestrian safety shows the vast power of the CQI registries and the nimbleness of the CQI platform when there’s a request for data that needs to be filled. There’s also a potential for collaboration between organizations, in this case the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute and Ford Motor Company,” said Dr. Faris Ahmad, medical director, Care Delivery Programs – Value Partnerships. “The trauma CQI data showed the effects of vehicle accidents on pedestrians. This is a great example of how CQI data registries are used for quality improvement for not only our members, but everyone in our state.”

Statistics show that pedestrian injuries and deaths are steadily rising across the U.S., with a 3% increase in 2018. CQI program leaders worked with UMTRI to share trauma outcomes data from its clinical registry. This data was linked to police crash data to better understand pedestrian injury patterns.

Crash data, which includes vehicle speed, type of impact, angle and roadway, can help researchers better understand clinical injury patterns and outcomes. The data allows for complex computer reconstruction of vehicle-pedestrian incidents and the modeling of potential mitigation solutions. The project findings are reported to Ford Motor Company to aid it in future safety efforts when designing its products.

Affecting outcomes

Ahmad said that this pedestrian vehicle crash data is able to affect economic and societal outcomes by:

• Improving vehicle safety, which results in fewer injuries to pedestrians
• Providing key data to a Michigan employer, such as Ford Motor Company, to support its engineering and design efforts.

“This is an example of utilizing data already collected within two disparate programs — one being the trauma CQI — to generate new knowledge for the greater good,” Ahmad said.

About CQIs

CQIs are a component of Blue Cross’ Care Delivery Programs through Value Partnerships. These statewide quality improvement initiatives, developed and executed by Michigan physicians, engage thousands of doctors and more than 100 hospital partners. They utilize comprehensive clinical registries, which include patient risk factors, processes of care and outcomes of care.

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and Blue Care Network are nonprofit corporations and independent licensees of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.