Suchergebnisse

Introduction: Injuries resulting from road traffic crashes are a substantial cause of disability and death worldwide. Injured persons receiving compensation have poorer recovery and return to work than those with non-compensable injury. Case or claims management is a critical component of injury compensation systems, and there is now evidence that claims management can have powerful positive impacts on recovery, but can also impede recovery or exacerbate mental health concerns in some injured people. This study seeks to evaluate the impact of a population-based injury claims management intervention in the State of Victoria, Australia, on the health of those injured in motor vehicle crashes, their experience of the compensation process, and the financial viability of the compensation system. Methods and analysis: Evaluation of this complex intervention involves a series of linked but stand-alone research projects to assess the anticipated process changes, impacts and outcomes of the intervention over a 5-year time frame. Linkage and analysis of routine administrative and health system data is supplemented with a series of primary studies collecting new information. Additionally, a series of action research projects will be undertaken to inform the implementation of the intervention. A program logic model designed by the state government Transport Accident Commission in conjunction with the research team provides the evaluation framework. Ethics and dissemination: Relatively few studies have comprehensively examined the impact of compensation system processes on the health of injured persons, their satisfaction with systems processes, and impacts on the financial performance of the compensation scheme itself. The wholesale, population-based transformation of an injury claims management model is a rare opportunity to document impacts of system-level policy change on outcomes of injured persons. Findings will contribute to the evidence base of information on the public health effects of injury claims management ...

Road traffic crashes are recognised to be a global public health concern. Recent developments internationally have highlighted the need for the implementation of national road safety action plans. The Government of the Republic of Namibia, through the Motor Vehicle Accident Fund and the Ministry of Health and Social Services, play a critical role in advancing the road safety agenda. Both recognise the centrality of accurate and timely data as it relates to road crashes. Consequently, this report set out to examine the feasibility of establishing a linked national dataset in Namibia, drawing together available sources of information pertaining to crashes and injury outcomes. This was achieved by the development and implementation of injury surveillance and data capture processes and applied during the period of 7 December 2009 to 15 January 2010. Using these systems, all presentations to the emergency departments of four hospitals in Windhoek were recorded, with this information forming the basis for the linked data. The analysis of the pre-hospital information indicated clear differences in transportation time of those injured in crashes in Khomas compared to the other regions of Namibia, while the findings of the Emergency Department Triage Study indicated high levels of assault as well as serious injury consequences for those involved in traffic crashes. Notwithstanding a number of barriers, the feasibility and value of establishing a linked data set, drawing together multiple data sources across the entire crash-casualty continuum was demonstrated. Among a small sample of cases, differences in crash patterns and injury outcomes between car occupants, motorcyclists and pedestrians could be observed. Analysis of both the collected data and of the process itself highlighted a range of issues in the collection of these data. A series of recommendations designed to improve the quality and level of data for the monitoring of road crashes and their injury consequences are outlined.