Sistema de Información de Lesiones de Causa Externa (SILEX): un proyecto exitoso en El Salvador An information system for injuries from external causes (SILEX): a successful project in El Salvador

• Main Authors: Oscar Salinas, Gerardo de Cosío, Carme Clavel-Arcas, Jeannette Montoya, Mario Serpas, Silvia Morán de García, Alberto Concha-Eastman
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English; Spanish; Portuguese
• Published: Pan American Health Organization 2008
• Subjects: sistemas de información; vigilancia epidemiológica; urgencias médicas; emergencias; heridas y traumatismos; causas externas; El Salvador; Information systems; epidemiologic surveillance; emergencies; wounds and injuries; external causes; Medicine; R; Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine; RC955-962; Public aspects of medicine; RA1-1270; Arctic
• Online Access: https://doaj.org/article/77e4280e080d472284a9bb184c8d5812

This article examines the stages in developing an information system for injuries from external causes (Sistema de Información de Lesiones de Causa Externa-SILEX), as well as its limitations and achievements. SILEX is a Web-based application for collection, quality control, presentation, and analysis of data available from the hospital system for surveillance of injuries from external causes created by Ministry of Health of El Salvador with data from the hospital emergency services. This system maintains comprehensive information on the injured person-type of injury, intention, injury site, activity being performed at the time of injury, risk factors, etc.-in the form of tables, graphs, and maps, which streamlines the development of intervention plans and prevention initiatives for these types of injuries in El Salvador. This experience is an example of what can be done to close the information gap on injuries by external causes in the Region of the Americas.