The role of big data management, data registries, and machine learning algorithms for optimizing safe definitive surgery in trauma: a review

Digital data processing has revolutionized medical documentation and enabled the aggregation of patient data across hospitals. Initiatives such as those from the AO Foundation about fracture treatment (AO Sammelstudie, 1986), the Major Trauma Outcome Study (MTOS) about survival, and the Trauma Audit and Research Network (TARN) pioneered multi-hospital data collection. Large trauma registries, like the German Trauma Registry (TR-DGU) helped improve evidence levels but were still constrained by predefined data sets and limited physiological parameters. The improvement in the understanding of pathophysiological reactions substantiated that decision making about fracture care led to development of patient’s tailored dynamic approaches like the Safe Definitive Surgery algorithm. In the future, artificial intelligence (AI) may provide further steps by potentially transforming fracture recognition and/or outcome prediction. The evolution towards flexible decision making and AI-driven innovations may be of further help. The current manuscript summarizes the development of big data from local databases and subsequent trauma registries to AI-based algorithms, such as Parkland Trauma Mortality Index and the IBM Watson Pathway Explorer.