In order to promote greater implementation of effective, affordable and sustainable trauma systems globally, the World Health Organization and the International Association for Trauma Surgery and Intensive Care have worked collaboratively to produce these guidelines on trauma quality improvement. The response to the growing problem of injury needs to include the improvement of care of the injured. Quality improvement (QI) programmes offer an affordable and sustainable means to implement such improvements. These programmes enable health care institutions to better monitor trauma care services, better detect problems in care, and more effectively enact and evaluate corrective measures targeted at these problems.