Part of

The Utstein Road Injury Project

Introduction

Road injuries cause over 1.2 million deaths worldwide every year, most of them in low- and middle-income countries. Yet we still lack a consistent way of recording and comparing what happens in the first moments after a crash.

The Utstein Road Injury Project supported by the Laerdal foundation is an international effort to change that. Our aim is to agree on a core set of information to collect during the early phases of the Road Injury Chain of Survival:

  • Early Recognition and Call for Help
  • Early Rescue
  • Early Initial Care

By creating a shared global standard, we can better understand what works, compare systems across countries, and improve patient outcomes.

We are now inviting people from around the world to register their interest in becoming either a Steering Group Member or a Subject Matter Expert (SME).

How You Can Get Involved

Steering Group Members

  • Guide the project from start to finish.
  • Attend online meetings, review documents, and provide expert advice.
  • Help ensure the project is rigorous, fair, and inclusive.
  • Take part as individuals, not as representatives of your employer.

Subject Matter Experts (SMEs)

  • Practitioners, clinicians, and researchers who contribute specialist knowledge.
  • Take part in Delphi surveys, virtual discussions, and dataset reviews.
  • Time commitment: ~15–20 hours spread over several months.
  • Input ensures the dataset reflects realities across different countries and contexts.

All participants will be acknowledged in project outputs, and steering group members who meet authorship criteria will be invited as co-authors on publications.

What the Study Will Look Like

  • Preparation (early 2026): Steering group formed, participants invited.
  • Delphi Surveys (May – June 2026): SMEs refine the dataset through structured rounds of online surveys.
  • Consensus Meetings (October 2026): Steering group, SMEs, and wider stakeholders meet virtually to finalise the dataset.
  • Outputs (late 2026 onwards): A global dataset, data dictionary, and implementation toolkit will be shared.

The Utstein methodology, first developed for cardiac arrest reporting, has transformed how data are collected and compared in emergency care. This project will be the first time it is applied to road injury.

We will use a fully virtual and inclusive consensus process, ensuring at least half of participants come from low- and middle-income countries. The outcome will be a tiered dataset:

  • Tier 1: Essential, universally feasible elements.
  • Tier 2: Recommended where resources allow.
  • Tier 3: Advanced or optional elements.

The process will include:

  • Multiple Delphi rounds (May–June 2026) to prioritise data elements.
  • Consensus meetings (October 2026) to refine and agree the dataset.
  • Validation and toolkit development to ensure outputs are practical and usable across diverse settings.

👉 Register Your Interest Here .