BOX 3-C - National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) Data

Use of NEISS data from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) enables analyses of injuries by factors such as age and gender, type of vehicle, and severity of injuries sustained. NEISS data are a probability sample of reports from hospital emergency rooms in the United States and territories open 24 hours a day with at least 6 beds. Each hospital has a computer linked to CPSC headquarters. Staff consistently computer code information in emergency room medical reports, which allows injuries to be analyzed and compared within and across transportation modes and over time. Physicians diagnose injuries, specify injured body part(s), determine disposition, and give other detailed medical information. NEISS data cannot estimate injuries treated at sites other than hospital emergency rooms (e.g., HMOs, physician's offices, and onsite medical facilities) and do not include investigative information aside from emergency room medical reports.