Project receives funding for Australia’s first national injury monitoring system
A multi-agency research team will establish Australia’s first national injury surveillance system, using emergency department data to gain a comprehensive picture of existing and emerging injury patterns across the country.
The project recently received a $2.98 million ($2 million) grant from the Australian Government’s Medical Research Future Fund.
The research team includes academic researchers from the University of New South Wales (UNSW), the University of Melbourne, the University of Sydney, Macquarie University and the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital Green Light Institute for Emergency Care.
They are also supported by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission, the Australasian College of Emergency Medicine and the Monash University Accident Research Centre.
WHAT MATTERS
Based on a press release the project will beUsing AI techniques to collect data from emergency departments across states and territories in the country to create an injury monitoring system.
The system will be able to to identify risks not currently captured in existing data, including domestic violence, child abuse, alcohol or drug abuse, intentional self-harm and workplace risks. It also allows us to better determine which population groups to prioritise, such as people with low incomes and people living in rural and remote areas.
WHY IT MATTERS
Last year, 1.9 million patients in Australia presented to emergency departments due to injuries, according to the latest data from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW).
According to UNSW, different states have different systems for monitoring injuries, with some states not collecting any injury data at all.
A national data system that provides more reliable and timely access to injury data is expected to critically guide prevention activities and guide policies, standards and legislation aimed at reducing injuries in communities.
“For example, our system will pick up on certain drug-related harms in some parts of the country, potentially even linked to a new street drug. We will be able to use the data to inform public health initiatives and take rapid and targeted action to reduce the burden of injury-related death and disability,” explained Dr Lisa Sharwood, an epidemiologist and project leader from UNSW Sydney.
“If we have a better understanding of what causes injuries, we can more easily prevent them,” she adds.
THE BIGGER TREND
Based on AIHW data, injuries accounted for 8% of the country’s total disease burden last year, leading to more than 500,000 hospitalizations. In 2021, injuries claimed nearly 15,000 lives. Moreover, it wouldp 7.3% of total healthcare expenditure in 2021.
Most injuries that lead to both hosfall-related injuries and deaths, AIHW data shows. There are already initiatives to prevent falls, especially in residential elderly care environments where the happs often, including the use of data analysis and autonomous sensors by a consortium of organizations in the elderly care sector.
Meanwhile, Victoria’s The Transport Accident Commission is now collecting patient reported outcomes and experiences to inform the clinical decisions of their physiotherapists, specifically to understand how an injury affects their patients and to provide tailored treatment.