The National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS) is a state-based surveillance system that links data from law enforcement, coroners, medical examiners, vital death statistics, and crime laboratories to assist each participating state in designing and implementing tailored prevention and intervention efforts.
NVDRS collects information on violent deaths, unintentional firearm deaths, and undetermined deaths, such as where victims are killed, when they are killed, and what factors appeared to contribute to or precipitate the death. NVDRS is the first system to provide detailed information on circumstances precipitating violent deaths, including brief narratives, to combine information across multiple data sources, to comprehensively describe violent deaths, and to link multiple deaths that are related to one another (e.g., multiple homicides, suicide pacts, and cases of homicide followed by the suicide of the alleged perpetrator).
The purpose of NVDRS is to build the capacity of states to collect and disseminate surveillance data on violent deaths. Such data provide critical insight into the magnitude, trends, and characteristics of violent deaths. NVDRS funding enables states to collect comprehensive and standardized descriptions of violent deaths by integrating information across multiple data sources, including death certificates, coroner reports, medical examiner reports, and law enforcement reports in a standardized manner. The collection of surveillance data on violent deaths is designed to enhance the effectiveness of violence prevention efforts implemented by stakeholders including public health and government agencies, researchers, community organizations, and the public. NVDRS data can be disseminated to stakeholders so that appropriate violence prevention efforts can be identified, selected, targeted, implemented, and evaluated with the ultimate goal of reducing violent deaths.
2021-2022 WYVDRS Report
NVDRS-coroner-medicalexaminer-factsheet-508
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS) links details of violent deaths – the who, when, where, and how – and shares insights into why they occurred. NVDRS relies on information from coroner/medical examiner reports (including toxicology), law enforcement reports, and death certificates to pool anonymized data on violent deaths and their circumstances into one database. Such data are far more comprehensive than what is available elsewhere and decision-makers and program planners can use this information to develop and tailor violence prevention efforts.
For which types of deaths is information collected?
NVDRS compiles data for these types of cases:
• Suicides
• Homicides
• Deaths that occur while in the custody of law enforcement or a correctional facility (excluding legal executions)
• All firearm-related deaths
• Deaths of undetermined manner, including undetermined drug overdose deaths
Why does NVDRS collect information on deaths of undetermined intent?
NVDRS collects information on deaths with an undetermined intent because of this:
• Provides a more complete picture of violent deaths that may be intentional
• Allows public health professionals or data analysts to examine what unique factors result in an undetermined classification of manner of death
• Sheds light on drug overdose deaths that could not be classified as suicide or unintentional (the most common type of death of undetermined intent in NVDRS)
What types of data are collected?
Trained abstractors enter information into the encrypted, anonymized system according to standardized CDC guidelines. NVDRS collects data for all age groups and
includes information on:
• Injury characteristics (e.g., cause of death, type of location)
• Demographics (e.g., sex, race/ethnicity)
• Circumstances that preceded or were related to a victim’s death
• Mental health diagnoses
• Toxicology
• Narratives that provide a brief summary of the incident based on law enforcement and coroner/ medical examiner reports
• More than 600 other unique data elements
What can NVDRS data be used to do?
• Uncover timely topics and emerging issues related to violent deaths
• Reveal important variations in patterns of violent deaths across locations, populations, and overtime
• Better understand the circumstances that contribute to violence in the county, state, or territory
• Guide, inform, and help target and evaluate violence prevention efforts, including suicide prevention
Leading to…
• Greater understanding of violent and undermined deaths
• More effective use of violence prevention resources
• Healthier, safer communities
What is the role of Coroners in NVDRS?
Coroners and medical examiners and the data they provide are an essential component of the NVDRS. Without their partnership, NVDRS could not assess circumstances of violent deaths or patterns in injury characteristics and other critical information that help local communities identify the most important contributing factors to violent deaths, which in turn helps prevention partners develop effective prevention strategies. When coroners and medical examiners provide detailed information in their reports, NVDRS can be used to develop more thorough insights into why these violent deaths occurred and identify ways to prevent future violent deaths.
What protections are in place?
Since NVDRS data collection began in 2003, there have been no reported data breaches. Participating NVDRS states enter data into an encrypted, web-based system. The VDRS states submit this information to CDC using the most up-to-date security protocols. Local laws that protect other types of health department records, such as communicable
disease records, also apply to NVDRS files.
For further information on NVDRS, visit https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/datasources/nvdrs
NVDRS-LawEnforcement-Factsheet-508
NVDRS uses information from law enforcement reports, death certificates, and coroner/medical examiner reports (including toxicology) to monitor and characterize violent deaths. NVDRS is the only state-based online reporting system that pools data on violent deaths and their circumstances from multiple sources into one anonymous database. No personally identifiable information is collected in the web-based system. We recognize law enforcement’s unique role in the community, and NVDRS allows law enforcement to have a more comprehensive view of violent deaths. By partnering with law enforcement, NVDRS can develop a more thorough picture of the circumstances that contribute to violent deaths, help law enforcement prioritize the use of public safety resources, better understand crime, and in turn help communities implement various prevention and educational strategies. The goal of NVDRS is to help create safer, healthier communities.
What information is collected?
NVDRS includes information from statewide data compiled at the national level for these types of cases:
• Suicide
• Homicide
• Deaths of undetermined intent that may have been due to violence
• Legal intervention (excluding executions)
• Unintentional firearm-related deaths
NVDRS collects information on unintentional firearm-related deaths to:
• Provide a more complete picture of firearm-related deaths in the country
• Inform prevention efforts by improving understanding of the circumstances surrounding these deaths
Trained abstractors enter de-identified information into the system according to standardized CDC guidelines. Data fields collected in NVDRS include information on:
• Injury characteristics (e.g., how the victim died)
• Demographics
• Circumstances that preceded or were related to a victim’s death
• Mental health diagnoses
• Toxicology (drugs or poisons in the victim’s system)
• More than 600 other incident characteristics
• Narratives that provide a brief summary of the incident based on law enforcement and coroner/medical examiner reports
What can NVDRS data do for law enforcement?
• Provide analyses that can address timely topics and emerging issues
• Reveal patterns of violent deaths through geographic analysis (mapping of violent death “hot spots”)
• Guide, inform, and help focus violence prevention efforts
Leading to…
• Greater understanding of violent crime
• More effective deployment of law enforcement
• Better use of public safety resources
• Stronger, targeted crime policies
• Healthier, safer communities
What protections are in place?
Since NVDRS data collection began in 2003, there have been no reported data breaches; nothing has compromised the confidentiality or security of the system. Participating NVDRS states enter data into an encrypted, web-based system. The VDRS states submit this information to CDC using the most up-to-date security protocols. Local laws that protect other types of health department records, such as communicable disease records, also apply to NVDRS files.
How to participate:
Law enforcement officers on the frontlines of violent events can provide detailed reports on the incidents they handle first-hand. When law enforcement provides thorough details, NVDRS can provide more thorough insights into why these violent deaths occurred and how we can work to prevent future violent deaths.
For more information on NVDRS, visit: https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/datasources/nvdrs
The purpose of the Wyoming Violent Death Reporting System advisory board is to offer technical advice, strategic planning, and support for Wyoming VDRS’s success.
Board members include persons who are associated with and knowledgeable about the data sources, are interested in using/analyzing the information, have expertise in data collection, will attend meetings, represent local/state agencies, and can influence agency decisions and cooperation (or effectively communicate reporting system concerns back to the decision-makers).
If you are interested in becoming a member of the advisory board please contact Joe Grandpre at Joe.Grandpre@wyo.gov.