Abstract
BackgroundTo effectively impact the significant population burden of injury, we completed a situational assessment of injury prevention practice within a provincial public health system to identify system-wide priorities for capacity-building to advance injury prevention in public health.MethodsA descriptive qualitative study was used to collect data on the current practice, challenges and needs of support for injury prevention. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews (n = 20) and focus groups (n = 19). Participants included a cross-section of injury prevention practitioners and leadership from public health units reflecting different population sizes and geographic characteristics, in addition to public health researchers and experts from academia, public health and not-for-profit organizations. Thematic analysis was used to code all of the data by one reviewer, followed by a second independent reviewer who coded a random selection of interview notes. Major codes and sub codes were identified and final themes were decided through iterations of coding comparisons and categorization. Once data were analysed, we confirmed the findings with the field, in addition to participating in a prioritization exercise to surface the top three needs for support.ResultsMajor themes that were identified from the data included: current public health practice challenges; capacity and resource constraints, and; injury as a low priority area. Overall, injury prevention is a broad, complex topic that competes with other areas of public health. Best practices are challenged by system-wide factors related to resources, direction, coordination, collaboration, and emerging injury public health issues. Injury is a reportedly under prioritized and under resourced public health area of practice. Practitioners believe that increasing access to data and evidence, and improving collaboration and networking is required to promote best practice.ConclusionsThe results of this study suggest that there are several system level needs to support best practice in public health injury prevention in Ontario including reducing research to practice gaps and supporting opportunities for collaboration. Our research contributes to the literature of the complexity of public health practice, and presents several mechanisms of support to increase capacity at a system level to improve injury prevention practice, and eventually lessen the population burden of injury.
Highlights
To effectively impact the significant population burden of injury, we completed a situational assessment of injury prevention practice within a provincial public health system to identify system-wide priorities for capacity-building to advance injury prevention in public health
Aim The aim of this project was to complete a situational assessment of injury prevention practice across a provincial public health system
The field ranked the top three needs that included: the need for evidence of effective interventions across injury topics; the need for access to local data and systematic use of both population level and programmatic indicators, and; the need for increased collaboration and networking opportunities both between public health units and research. The aim of this project was to complete a situational assessment of injury prevention practice across the Ontario public health system
Summary
To effectively impact the significant population burden of injury, we completed a situational assessment of injury prevention practice within a provincial public health system to identify system-wide priorities for capacity-building to advance injury prevention in public health. It is estimated that every hour, over 400 Canadians suffer a preventable injury that requires medical attention [1]. This represents over 9500 people seen in emergency rooms, 600 hospitalized, and 40 deaths, on a daily basis [1]. For many of those who suffer a serious injury, there are lifelong sequelae including reductions in physical activity, the inability to work, and poorer quality of life. From 2004 to 2010, the cost of injury increased by 35% and is estimated to increase to $75 billion a year, given the current trajectory [1]. The burden of injury can be reduced by implementing evidencebased population-level interventions [2]
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