Linked data systems for injury surveillance and targeted prevention planning: Identifying geographical differences in injury in Western Australia, 2009-2012.

ISSUE ADDRESSED: Injuries are a leading preventable cause of disease burden in Australia. Understanding how injuries vary by geographical location is important to guide health promotion planning. Therefore, the geographical and temporal distribution of injury across Western Australia from 2009 to 2012 is explored. METHODS: Three Western Australian health datasets were linked and the expected number of injury cases per postcode calculated. A Standardised Injury Ratio was calculated by comparing the observed and expected number of injury cases. Priority areas and associated injury mechanisms were identified by postcode based on injury rates and temporal trends. RESULTS: Injury levels varied across health region, health district and postcode. All nonmetropolitan regions had at least one health district classified as High or Medium-High priority. In contrast, neither metropolitan health region had health districts in these categories. Adopting the finer postcode level of analysis showed localised injury priority areas, even within health districts not classified as High or Medium-High injury areas. Postcodes classified as High or Medium-High injury priority were located alongside those with lower priority categories. CONCLUSION: Injury prevention priority areas had consistent trends both geographically and over time. Finer scale analysis can provide public health policy makers with more robust information to plan, evaluate and support a range of injury prevention programs. SO WHAT?: The use of linked data systems and spatial analysis can assist health promotion decision-makers and practitioners by demonstrating area-based differences in injury prevention allowing effective targeting of limited resources to populations at the highest risk of injury.

A balanced approach to falls prevention: Application in the real world.

BACKGROUND: Falls place a heavy burden on the health system, impacting on an individual's quality of life, often resulting in a fear of falling, reduction in independence and at times admission to residential care. This study aimed to determine health professionals' confidence in discussing falls prevention strategies, topics discussed and the barriers and enablers to falls prevention discussions with clients aged 60 years and over. METHOD: A cross-sectional self-complete online survey was undertaken with a sample of health professionals (n = 191) who had engaged in the services of the Stay On Your Feet® programs delivered by the Injury Matters in Western Australia (WA). RESULTS: The majority of participants were physiotherapists (25.7%), registered nurses (17.8%) and occupational therapists (11%) located in metropolitan (56%) and regional (44%) WA. Most health professionals (80.2%) were "highly" confident discussing falls prevention strategies. Discussion of falls prevention included the benefits of strength and balance exercises (83%), eating a healthy diet (78.7%), regular eyesight checks (64.5%), reviewing medications (54.8%) and exposure to sunlight (50.3%). The main enablers to falls prevention were knowledge (89.7%), skills to identify (77.7%) and implement (66.3%) falls prevention strategies, and access to printed resources (74.9%), while the main barrier was appointment times (14.6%). CONCLUSION: Health professionals' indicated that they are confident in discussing falls prevention strategies, and although a range of falls prevention strategies were discussed, limited attention was directed at the pharmacists' review of medications, eyesight checks and increasing vitamin D levels. SO WHAT?: Health professionals are discussing falls prevention strategies with their clients. A more multifaceted approach should be encouraged with an emphasis on all prevention strategies.