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Rezaei-Darzi E, Berecki-Gisolf J. Assessing the quality of emergency department data for injury surveillance in Victoria, Australia: a comparative analysis of two Victorian hospital data sources. BMJ Open 2024; 14:e084621. [PMID: 38950990 PMCID: PMC11328615 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2024-084621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/03/2024] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The emergency department (ED) is pivotal in treating serious injuries, making it a valuable source for population-based injury surveillance. In Victoria, information that is relevant to injury surveillance is collected in the Victorian Emergency Minimum Dataset (VEMD). This study aims to assess the data quality of the VEMD as an injury data source by comparing it with the Victorian Admitted Episodes Dataset (VAED). DESIGN A retrospective observational study of administrative healthcare data. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS VEMD and VAED data from July 2014 to June 2019 were compared. Including only hospitals contributing to both datasets, cases that (1) arrived at the ED and (2) were subsequently admitted, were selected. RESULTS While the overall number of cases was similar, VAED outnumbered VEMD cases (414 630 vs 404 608), suggesting potential under-reporting of injuries in the ED. Age-related differences indicated a relative under-representation of older individuals in the VEMD. Injuries caused by falls or transport, and intentional injuries were relatively under-reported in the VEMD. CONCLUSIONS Injury cases were more numerous in the VAED than in the VEMD even though the number is expected to be equal based on case selection. Older patients were under-represented in the VEMD; this could partly be attributed to patients being admitted for an injury after they presented to the ED with a non-injury ailment. The patterns of under-representation described in this study should be taken into account in ED-based injury incidence reporting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ehsan Rezaei-Darzi
- Monash University Accident Research Centre (MUARC), Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Janneke Berecki-Gisolf
- Monash University Accident Research Centre (MUARC), Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
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Holloway-Kew KL, Baker TR, Sajjad MA, Yosef T, Kotowicz MA, Adams J, Brumby S, Page RS, Sutherland AG, Kavanagh BE, Brennan-Olsen SL, Williams LJ, Pasco JA. Emergency presentations for farm-related injuries in older adults residing in south-western Victoria, Australia. Aust J Rural Health 2024; 32:498-509. [PMID: 38506552 DOI: 10.1111/ajr.13110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2023] [Revised: 02/12/2024] [Accepted: 03/11/2024] [Indexed: 03/21/2024] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Farm workers are at high risk for injuries, and epidemiological data are needed to plan resource allocation. OBJECTIVE This study identified regions with high farm-related injury rates in the Barwon South West region of Victoria, Australia, for residents aged ≥50 yr. DESIGN Retrospective synthesis using electronic medical records of emergency presentations occurring during 2017-2019 inclusive for Local Government Areas (LGA) in the study region. For each LGA, age-standardised incidence rates (per 1000 population/year) were calculated. FINDINGS For men and women combined, there were 31 218 emergency presentations for any injury, and 1150 (3.68%) of these were farm-related. The overall age-standardised rate for farm-related injury presentations was 2.6 (95% CI 2.4-2.7); men had a higher rate than women (4.1, 95% CI 3.9-4.4 versus 1.2, 95% CI 1.0-1.3, respectively). For individual LGAs, the highest rates of farm-related emergency presentations occurred in Moyne and Southern Grampians, both rural LGAs. Approximately two-thirds of farm-related injuries occurred during work activities (65.0%), and most individuals arrived at the hospital by transport classified as "other" (including private car, 83.3%). There were also several common injury causes identified: "other animal related injury" (20.2%), "cutting, piercing object" (19.5%), "fall ⟨1 m" (13.1%), and "struck by or collision with object" (12.5%). Few injuries were caused by machinery (1.7%) and these occurred mainly in the LGA of Moyne (65%). DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION This study provides data to inform future research and resource allocation for the prevention of farm-related injuries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kara L Holloway-Kew
- School of Medicine, Faculty of Health, Deakin University, Waurn Ponds, Victoria, Australia
| | - Timothy R Baker
- School of Medicine, Faculty of Health, Deakin University, Waurn Ponds, Victoria, Australia
| | - Muhammad A Sajjad
- School of Medicine, Faculty of Health, Deakin University, Waurn Ponds, Victoria, Australia
| | - Tewodros Yosef
- School of Medicine, Faculty of Health, Deakin University, Waurn Ponds, Victoria, Australia
- School of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Mizan-Tepi University, Mizan Teferi, Ethiopia
| | - Mark A Kotowicz
- School of Medicine, Faculty of Health, Deakin University, Waurn Ponds, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Medicine - Western Health, The University of Melbourne, St Albans, Victoria, Australia
- University Hospital Geelong, Barwon Health, Geelong, Victoria, Australia
| | - Jessie Adams
- School of Medicine, Faculty of Health, Deakin University, Waurn Ponds, Victoria, Australia
- National Centre for Farmer Health, Western District Health Service, Hamilton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Susan Brumby
- School of Medicine, Faculty of Health, Deakin University, Waurn Ponds, Victoria, Australia
- National Centre for Farmer Health, Western District Health Service, Hamilton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Richard S Page
- School of Medicine, Faculty of Health, Deakin University, Waurn Ponds, Victoria, Australia
- University Hospital Geelong, Barwon Health, Geelong, Victoria, Australia
- Barwon Centre for Orthopaedic Research and Education, Barwon Health and St John of God Hospital Geelong, Geelong, Victoria, Australia
| | - Alasdair G Sutherland
- School of Medicine, Faculty of Health, Deakin University, Waurn Ponds, Victoria, Australia
- South West Healthcare, Warrnambool, Victoria, Australia
| | - Bianca E Kavanagh
- Deakin Rural Health, School of Medicine, Deakin University, Warrnambool, Victoria, Australia
| | - Sharon L Brennan-Olsen
- School of Medicine, Faculty of Health, Deakin University, Waurn Ponds, Victoria, Australia
| | - Lana J Williams
- School of Medicine, Faculty of Health, Deakin University, Waurn Ponds, Victoria, Australia
| | - Julie A Pasco
- School of Medicine, Faculty of Health, Deakin University, Waurn Ponds, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Medicine - Western Health, The University of Melbourne, St Albans, Victoria, Australia
- University Hospital Geelong, Barwon Health, Geelong, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
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Papalia N, Simmons M, Trood M, McEwan T, Spivak B. Police-reported family violence victimisation or perpetration and mental health-related emergency department presentations: an Australian data-linkage study. BMC Public Health 2024; 24:131. [PMID: 38195457 PMCID: PMC10777561 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-023-17570-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2023] [Accepted: 12/22/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Family violence is a leading social determinant of mental ill-health but its link to mental health-related emergency department presentations is poorly understood. Existing research has largely used retrospective designs with a focus on victimisation, typically among women. We examined whether police-reported family violence victimisation and perpetration were prospectively associated with mental health emergency department presentations in women and men. We also identified family violence risk and vulnerability characteristics associated with such presentations. METHODS Demographics, prior police involvement, and individual and relationship vulnerabilities were provided by Victoria Police for 1520 affected family members (i.e., primary victims) and 1470 respondents (i.e., persons alleged to have perpetrated family violence) from family violence reports in 2016-17. Emergency mental health presentations 22-30 months post-family-violence report were determined through linkage with the Victorian Emergency Minimum Dataset and compared to statewide presentations. RESULTS Emergency mental health presentations during follow-up were identified in 14.3% of the family violence sample, with 1.9% presenting for self-harm. Mental health presentation rates per 1,000 people were markedly higher among affected family members and respondents of both sexes and all ages than in the general population, except for male affected family members aged 45 + . Adjusting for age and sex, the mental health presentation rate was 6 and 11 times higher among affected family members and respondents, respectively, than in the general population. Individual vulnerabilities were more closely related to risk of emergency mental health presentations than relationship characteristics. CONCLUSIONS Police-recorded family violence is associated with increased mental health-related emergency department presentations over the short-to-medium term. Strengthened cross-sector collaboration is needed to identify, address, and refer individuals with overlapping family violence and mental health needs and to improve victims' and perpetrators' access to community mental health and related services. This should help prevent individuals from reaching a crisis point in their mental health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nina Papalia
- Centre for Forensic Behavioural Science, Swinburne University of Technology and Victorian Institute of Forensic Mental Health (Forensicare), Level 1/582 Heidelberg Road, Alphington, VIC, 3078, Australia.
| | - Melanie Simmons
- Centre for Forensic Behavioural Science, Swinburne University of Technology and Victorian Institute of Forensic Mental Health (Forensicare), Level 1/582 Heidelberg Road, Alphington, VIC, 3078, Australia
| | - Michael Trood
- Centre for Forensic Behavioural Science, Swinburne University of Technology and Victorian Institute of Forensic Mental Health (Forensicare), Level 1/582 Heidelberg Road, Alphington, VIC, 3078, Australia
| | - Troy McEwan
- Centre for Forensic Behavioural Science, Swinburne University of Technology and Victorian Institute of Forensic Mental Health (Forensicare), Level 1/582 Heidelberg Road, Alphington, VIC, 3078, Australia
| | - Benjamin Spivak
- Centre for Forensic Behavioural Science, Swinburne University of Technology and Victorian Institute of Forensic Mental Health (Forensicare), Level 1/582 Heidelberg Road, Alphington, VIC, 3078, Australia
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