3B.001 Preventing subsequent injuries: perspectives from healthcare providers and people injured

Abstract

Background Some people experience multiple injury events over time. For example, of 2856 people who presented to healthcare providers following injury, 58% had at least one subsequent injury involving an Accident Compensation Corporation (New Zealand’s no-fault universal injury insurer) claim over the next 24 months. Contact with healthcare providers following injury offers a potential intervention point for subsequent injury prevention however it is not known if this potential is being optimised. This qualitative research examines subsequent injury prevention opportunities from the perspectives of: 1) healthcare providers, and 2) people who have had multiple injury events over time. Methods Individual face-to-face interviews were undertaken with healthcare providers (n=13), and people who had incurred multiple injury events over the previous twelve months (n=16). Thematic analysis was carried out using the Framework method. Results A key topic of interest was the perceived role of healthcare providers in subsequent injury prevention. Both healthcare providers, and participants who had experienced injuries, provided insights into potential opportunities for subsequent injury prevention. These ranged from micro individual level actions such as getting ‘buy-in’ from patients, actions aimed at improving social connectedness and advocacy for macro policy level interventions. Conclusion Findings are important to inform the development of practical ‘real-world’ interventions to prevent subsequent injuries among people seeing healthcare providers following injury. Learning Outcomes A substantial proportion of people presenting to healthcare providers following injury have subsequent injuries. This research explores potential untapped injury prevention opportunities with the aim of contributing to reducing the considerable injury burden.