Date: May 27th, 2009

Advances in Crash Response:
New CDC Report on Advanced Automatic Collision Notification

Dear Colleague:

On behalf of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Injury Center, I am pleased to announce the availability of a new report titled, Recommendations from the Expert Panel: Advanced Automatic Collision Notification and Triage of the Injured Patient (http://www.cdc.gov/injuryresponse/aacn.html).

This report present the findings of this national expert panel, convened by CDC, comprised of leaders in emergency care, public health, safety, and automotive experts. The panel found that using available vehicle telematics technology, such as Advanced Automatic Collision Notification (AACN), shows promise in helping save lives through:
• the potential to predict the severity of injuries of vehicle crash victims which can help emergency care providers more quickly identify, diagnose, transport, and treat injuries; and
• Use of rapid communication and vehicle locating capabilities, which can help decrease response time by EMS providers.

The initiative and report on AACN evolved out of CDC’s larger and long-standing field triage initiative and the Field Triage Decision Scheme: the National Trauma Triage Protocol. The field triage decisions made daily by EMS providers within minutes of arriving at an injury scene are crucial. Previous CDC-supported research indicates care at a Level I trauma center lowers the risk of death by 25 percent for severely injured patients, compared with treatment received at a hospital without trauma care services.

We look forward to leading future initiatives based on these recommendations as part of our mission to save lives and reduce injuries to help all Americans live to their full potential. A copy of the full report and findings from the expert panel can be ordered or downloaded at no cost at www.cdc.gov/injuryresponse/aacn.html or by calling 1-800-CDC-INFO.

For more information on CDC’s Field Triage Decision Scheme, please visit www.cdc.gov/FieldTriage.


Sincerely,