Iowa Violent Death Reporting System (IAVDRS)

Iowa is funded by the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention to collect data on violent deaths for the National Violent Death Reporting System. Using a variety of source records, the Iowa Violent Death Reporting System (IAVDRS) gathers information on cause of death and contributing circumstances, and enters it into a national database. Community partners and researchers can use the data to contribute to a better understanding of violent deaths and develop strategies to prevent them.

Iowa data collection started for deaths that occurred beginning in calendar year 2015. In 2015 data was collected from the seven most populous counties (Black Hawk, Johnson, Linn, Polk, Pottawattamie, Scott and Woodbury). Statewide data collection began in calendar year 2016. The department gathers reports from death certificates, medical examiner and law enforcement reports to identify circumstances that contribute to these types of violent deaths:

Homicides
Suicides
Deaths resulting from law enforcement intervention
Unintentional firearm injury deaths
Deaths of undetermined intent
Deaths resulting from terrorism

If you are interested in obtaining data from the program, please review this document:

Program Authority and Confidentiality

These sections of the Iowa Code provide Iowa HHS the legal authority to run the IAVDRS program:

Section 136.3 §2c – State Board of Health duties and responsibilities
Section 135.11 §1 – Duties of the department of public health
Section 135.40 – allows Iowa HHS to collect data for purposes of reducing morbidity and mortality

IAVDRS Confidentiality Procedures

IAVDRS Advisory Committee

The program is guided by an advisory committee comprised of governmental and non-profit agencies and organizations. Meetings are held quarterly either virtually or in-person. If you are interested in attending a meeting of the IAVDRS Advisory Committee, contact Derma L. Rivera-Aguirre: derma.rivera@hhs.iowa.gov

Iowa Violent Death Reporting System Advisory Committee Charter

Purpose

The Iowa HHS Iowa Violent Death Reporting System (IAVDRS) Advisory Committee provides guidance on programmatic efforts, data analysis, and strategic planning. The committee serves as a platform for information dissemination and helps engage new organizations and resources to support IAVDRS initiatives. Additionally, members offer technical expertise, contribute to strategic planning, and provide support for the overall success of IAVDRS.

Goals

The Advisory Committee aims to:

Identify organizations in Iowa that impact violent death prevention.
Increase awareness of the existing Violent Death Reporting System.
Improve the use of Violent Death Reporting System data to enhance programming and prevention activities.
Strengthen and sustain relationships across Iowa to support violence prevention efforts.
Facilitate the dissemination of data reports.

Lead

Iowa HHS – Public Health and University of Iowa – Injury Prevention Research Center

Expectations

Committee members are expected to attend quarterly meetings, either online or in person, to discuss:

Current and upcoming Violent Death Reporting System projects and programs.
Data trends, availability, and analysis.
Potential collaborations and opportunities for improvement.

Membership

Individuals interested in joining the Advisory Committee should contact Derma L. Rivera derma.rivera@hhs.iowa.gov

Educational Resources

Program Newsletters

Data Reports

Process for Requesting Data From the Iowa Violent Death Reporting System

The Iowa Violent Death Reporting System (IAVDRS) is administered through the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services (Iowa HHS) and funded through a grant from the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC). Data that is collected is entered into a federal database, the Secure Access Management System (SAMS). IAVDRS desires that the data collected and abstracted by the program be available to community partners to inform the development of strategies to prevent deaths resulting from violence. This document describes the type of data that can be requested and the process for making that request. Data sources that are used for the IAVDRS are considered confidential. These include death certificates (Iowa HHS Bureau of Health Statistics), medical examiner reports (Iowa HHS Office of the State Medical Examiner), and law enforcement investigative reports (obtained from state and local law enforcement agencies). Iowa HHS has a policy that governs release of confidential public health information. It is posted on the Iowa HHS internet at this link. Researchers who want access to the data need to follow the instructions for research requests found here. Processing these requests may take six months or more. For a current estimate of processing time, contact RERC@hhs.iowa.gov. Summary data, which is statistical or aggregated, can generally be released to the public. At times, small count sizes may need to be suppressed (typically represented by an * in a table or chart) or approval to release may be needed from the Iowa HHS Data Management Program or the State Medical Director. When possible and appropriate, the IAVDRS can combine several years of data in order to prevent the need to suppress numbers. Challenges arise when the requestor desires information about county-level or specific population numbers (such as racial/ethnic breakdown).

Someone who wishes to request aggregated data from the program can initiate the process by emailing the Program Director and making the request. She will determine how long it will take to fulfill the request or follow-up with clarifying questions. The Program Director will then contact the Data Analyst or Program Epidemiologist to obtain the information and once received and approved, forward it to the requestor. Depending on the detail of the request, most can be fulfilled within a two-week period. If the requestor desires access to data that cannot be made publicly available according to the Iowa HHS Policy for Disclosure of Confidential Public Health Information, Records, or Data, a formal data request would need to be made. For more information on this process and to apply, contact RERC@hhs.iowa.gov