Minimal Data Elements for Surveillance and Reporting Of Musculoskeletal injuries in the MILitary (ROMMIL) International Consensus Statement

Introduction: A systematic approach to collecting and reporting injury data in military settings is necessary to maximize the impact of musculoskeletal injury–related research. An international consensus on recommended core data set of elements to capture and report is necessary. The purpose was to summarize the process and results from an international consensus study to establish recommended common minimum data elements for surveillance and Reporting Of Musculoskeletal injuries in the MILitary (ROMMIL). Methods: A 10-step hybrid consensus process was performed. Knowledge users were embedded in the process for co-creation of pertinent questions, data elements, and voting. Evidence synthesis included a scoping review on the barriers and facilitators to implementing injury prevention programs, followed by a knowledge user survey. A sequential three round Delphi study refined and validated the final elements in the recommendation checklist. Consensus recommendations were presented to an international audience of stakeholders. Participants voted on each statement with 0 representing no importance, 5 somewhat important, and 10 maximum importance. Results: The consensus recommendation includes one data principle of keeping continuous data continuous and 33 minimum data elements. Data elements include demographics, lifestyle, service branch, musculoskeletal/surgical history, exposure, and injury characteristics. The data principle endorsed by knowledge users recommends that continuous variables (e.g., age, weight, exposure) remain continuous and not categorized into groups. Dissenting viewpoints are detailed to provide fair and balanced consensus recommendations. Conclusions: The ROMMIL checklist could be leveraged by clinicians, researchers, and knowledge users working in military settings when comparing and harmonizing data across studies, service branches, and countries. The ROMMIL checklist will support improved data synthesis to better inform evidence-based practice in military medicine, and the ability to generate more useful prognostic models to quantify injury risk.