OBJECTIVES: Data from trauma registries (TR) have been found to help improve trauma care; however, most low-and middle-income countries including Nigerian hospitals lack a sustainable TR, with funding being the most cited barrier. Estimating the cost of TR before initiation provides a detailed understanding of the overall project costs, making it easier for stakeholders to make financial decisions relating to TR establishment. This study aimed to estimate the cost of establishing and maintaining a prototype TR at the University College Hospital (UCH), Nigeria.

METHODS: The costs of previously identified TR components were classified into fixed and variable costs and then into five categories. The costs of these TR components were determined either by averaging costs from multiple sources where several were deemed relevant or by using data from the most context-relevant sources. These cost data used the time-driven activity-based costing (TDABC) method to estimate the start-up and annual maintenance costs of the prototype TR. An annual depreciation rate of 20% was allocated to TR components with secondhand value. Deterministic sensitivity analysis (DSA) was conducted by varying the registry input parameters by ±20%.

RESULTS: The estimated start-up cost of establishing a TR in UCH, Nigeria, was USD20,005 and USD25,459, for annual maintenance. While 82% of the estimated start-up costs were for computers, training, and other materials, 40% of the estimated annual maintenance costs were for personnel. The DSA for the start-up cost and annual maintenance cost showed that the cost of training healthcare workers and data extractor officers were the most sensitive TR components, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS: This study provides a better understanding of the costs and time associated with each TR component. It also serves as a relevant source and foundation for budget impact analyses when comparing the financial impact of a TR with other studies or alternatives in resource-constrained settings.