Definition

The number of emergency department visits among Utah residents for unintentional injuries per 10,000 persons.

Numerator

Number of emergency department visits for unintentional injuries among Utah residents.

Denominator

Total population of Utah.

Data Interpretation Issues

The hospital and emergency department data were created for use in billing and remittance of payment, not for public health surveillance. Therefore, the data are weak in some areas, such as external cause of injury and race or ethnicity.

Why Is This Important?

In Utah, there are approximately 181,000 emergency department visits a year due to unintentional injuries. In 2005, the top 5 leading causes of unintentional injury emergency department visits in the US are falls, struck by or against, overexertion, motor vehicle crashes, and cut/pierce. Injuries do not happen by chance and the events leading up to injuries are not random. Choosing safe behaviors, using safety equipment, and obeying safety laws can prevent most unintentional injuries.

Other Objectives

Violence and Injury Prevention Program, Utah Department of Health: By 2010, reduce deaths caused by unintentional injuries to no more than 27.9 per 100,000 Utah residents. By 2010, increase bicycle helmet use among elementary school-age children in Utah to 25.0 percent. By 2010, increase the use of vehicle safety restraints among child occupants 8 and under in Utah to at least 75.0 percent.

How Are We Doing?

Utah has seen a decline in unintentional injury emergency department visits from 2001 (190,811) to 2005 (174,575). Utah's rate of unintentional injury emergency department visits declined from 827.6 per 10,000 persons in 2001 to 690.3 in 2004. Southeastern Local Health District had the highest rate of unintentional emergency department visits from 2001-2005 at 970.3 per 10,000 persons and Summit County Local Health District has the lowest at 328.7.

What Is Being Done?

The Violence and Injury Prevention Program (VIPP) provides funding, training, and technical assistance to local health departments to conduct education and awareness programs surrounding the following topics: child safety seats, seat belt use, pedestrian safety, bicycle safety, DUI prevention, ATV and off-road safety, fire prevention, safe firearm storage, and drowning prevention. In addition, VIPP promotes bicycle and pedestrian safety by distributing bike helmets, providing helmets at low costs, and providing bike and pedestrian safety information. VIPP is the lead organization for Safe Kids Utah that works on preventing unintentional injuries to children. To help reduce fall-related hospitalizations and deaths, VIPP is has worked with local health departments, the Asthma program, and the Arthritis program to promote home safety and fall prevention programs for older adults.

Available Services

Utah Department of Health, Violence and Injury Prevention Program Services provided: pedestrian and bicycle safety, child safety seat inspections, bicycle rodeo trailer Information provided: seat belt use, child safety seat and booster seat use, pedestrian safety, bicycle safety, helmet use, fall prevention, drowning prevention, playground safety, school safety, traumatic brain and spinal cord injury prevention Telephone: 801-538-6141 Web site: www.health.utah.gov/vipp Safe Kids Utah Services provided: child safety seat and booster seat inspections and low cost bike and ski helmets Information provided: child safety newsletter, traffic safety, pedestrian safety, car seat and booster seats, bike safety, home safety, firearms, recreation safety, and drowning prevention Telephone: 801-538-6852 Web Site: www.utahsafekids.org Utah Highway Safety Office Service provided: child safety seat inspection, motor vehicle safety presentations, Information provided: MV crash statistics, DUI, graduated licensing, seat belt use, child safety seats, booster seats, pedestrian safety, bicycle safety Telephone: 801-293-2480 Web Site: www.highwaysafety.utah.gov

Health Program Information

The mission of the Violence and Injury Prevention Program (VIPP) is to promote the health of Utah citizens by working to reduce the incidence and severity of injuries and resultant deaths. Its goals are to a) focus prevention efforts on reducing intentional and unintentional injury, b) conduct education aimed at increasing awareness and changing behaviors that contribute to the occurrence of injury, c) strengthen local health department capacity to conduct local injury prevention programs, d) promote legislation, policy changes, and enforcement that will reduce injury hazards and increase safe behaviors, e) collaborate with private and public partners, and f) improve the Utah Department of Health capacity to collect mortality and morbidity data from multiple sources and conduct injury epidemiology for use in prevention planning, implementation, and evaluation.

Relevant Population Characteristics

Injuries are more prevalent in adolescence and early adulthood. Falls are the leading cause of non-fatal unintentional injuries and emergency department visits for all age groups except 15 to 24 years old (which is struck by/against). In 2005, nearly 400,000 teens ages 16-19 sustained nonfatal injuries severe enough in motor vehicle crashes to require treatment in an emergency department. Per mile driven, teen drivers ages 16-19 are four times more likely than older drivers to crash. Source: 1) NEISS All Injury Program operated by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). 2) National Center for Injury Prevention and Control: Teen Drivers Fact Sheet.

Health Care System Factors

Lack of health insurance may discourage some injured persons from seeking appropriate medical care.

Risk Factors

Many children who ride in child safety seats are improperly secured and restraint use among young children often depends upon the driver's restraint use. Child restraint systems are often used incorrectly. One study found that 72% of nearly 3,500 observed child restraint systems were misused in a way that could be expected to increase a child's risk of injury during a crash. Compared with other age groups, teens have the lowest rate of seat belt use and are more likely than older drivers to underestimate or not be able to recognize hazardous situations. Age-related decreases in vision, hearing, cognitive functions, and physical impairments may affect some older adults' driving ability. Some risk factors that contribute to falls among older adults are lower body weakness, problems with walking and balance, and taking four or more medications. Source: National Center for Injury Prevention and Control

Health Status Outcomes

Each year, more than 30 million emergency department visits result from nonfatal injuries. Unintentional injuries are often a contributing factor in temporary or permanent disability and poor health. Source: National Center for Injury Prevention and Control

Data Notes

All injury cases for this indicator are consistent with the injury case definitions found in the Consensus Recommendations for Using Hospital Discharge Data for Injury Surveillance (2003) developed by the State and Territorial Injury Program Directors Association (STIPDA) Injury Surveillance Workgroup. All emergency department encounters includes all "treat and release" patients and all inpatient admissions through the emergency department.   Data are age-adjusted to the U.S. 2000 standard population.

Data Notes

All injury cases for this indicator are consistent with the injury case definitions found in the Consensus Recommendations for Using Hospital Discharge Data for Injury Surveillance (2003) developed by the State and Territorial Injury Program Directors Association (STIPDA) Injury Surveillance Workgroup. All emergency department encounters includes all "treat and release" patients and all inpatient admissions through the emergency department.

References and Community Resources

National Center for Injury Prevention and Control http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/cmprfact.htm National Highway Transportation Safety Administration http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/ National SAFE KIDS Campaign http://www.safekids.org/ Children's Safety Network http://www.edc.org/HHD/csn U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission http://www.cpsc.gov/