Citation

Sears JM, Bowman SM, Adams D, Silverstein BA. J. Occup. Environ. Med. 2011; 53(11): 1243-1250.

Affiliation

From the Departments of Health Services (Dr Sears) and Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences (Dr Silverstein), School of Public Health, University of Washington, Seattle, Wash; Center for Injury Research and Policy, Department of Health Policy and Management (Dr Bowman), Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Md; Safety and Health Assessment and Research for Prevention (SHARP) (Mr Adams and Dr Silverstein), Washington State Department of Labor & Industries, Olympia, Wash.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2011, Lippincott Williams and Wilkins)

DOI

10.1097/JOM.0b013e31822cff63

PMID

22068129

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:: Traumatic injuries are a leading cause of death and disability among US workers, yet state trauma registries are rarely used for occupational research. Many, including the Washington State Trauma Registry, include information about work-relatedness. The objective is to explore and document the Washington State Trauma Registry as a resource for occupational injury surveillance and research. METHODS:: State-designated trauma facilities report traumatic injuries meeting specific inclusion criteria to the Washington State Trauma Registry. This study included 16+ year-olds injured in Washington during 1998 to 2008. RESULTS:: Of 125,625 injuries, 7.3% were work related. We found no evidence of downward trends in traumatic occupational injuries (2003 to 2008). CONCLUSIONS:: Capturing industry and occupation would enhance utility for occupational injury surveillance and research. Trauma registry data could contribute to prevention planning/evaluation, improve case ascertainment for severe occupational injuries, and aid identification of high-risk populations and emerging trends.

Language: en