Citation

Lesjak MS, McMahon GJ, Zanette L. Rural remote health 2008; 8(2): 878.

Affiliation

Broken Hill Centre for Remote Health Research (Joint Initiative of the University of Sydney and Greater Western Area Health Service), Broken Hill, New South Wales, Australia. mlesjak@gwahs.health.nsw.gov.au

Copyright

(Copyright © 2008, Deakin University)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

18399729

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: The Australian National Alcohol Strategy 2006-2009 recommends strengthening data collection at the local level, gathering information from emergency department (ED) attendees and, by integrating data sources, to develop a better understanding of alcohol- related harm. We piloted a method to estimate the number of alcohol-related presentations to ED and alcohol-related police incidents in a remote regional centre. We explore the practicality and benefits of integrating such alcohol related police and health data. Subjects and setting: Broken Hill Hospital is the district hospital that serves Broken Hill and surrounds in far west New South Wales, a population of approximately 20 000, over 90% of whom live in the town itself. Computerised records of all attendances are available. The Barrier police command is based in Broken Hill with 56 police. METHOD: Over two one-week periods a combination of a short patient questionnaire, nurses' assessment and concordance with Broken Hill police records were used to determine alcohol-related presentations. RESULTS: Both health and police data showed seasonal variation, with alcohol-related incidents and costs doubling in warmer weather. Altogether 32 people (5% of all 602 presentations) were recorded as having consumed alcohol prior to the event that brought them to ED. From 765 events, police attended 118 (15%) alcohol-related incidents. While the two groups were essentially independent, they were very similar demographically. The majority (68%) were males aged in their 30s who came to ED/ police notice in the late evening/early morning, mainly in the weekend. By integrating police data, routine ED data and an ED survey, a more comprehensive picture of alcohol-related harms emerged. CONCLUSION: Future research would benefit from the use of project officers in ED and in the police force, to improve compliance and data completeness. A more comprehensive local picture would also include data from other agencies dealing with alcohol. A longer study is necessary to confirm the preliminary data on seasonal variation. Key words: alcohol, emergency department, injury prevention/ early intervention, intoxication, police incidents/crime.

Language: en