Study aims
The Impact of Injuries Study was a multi-centre longitudinal study with a nested qualitative study. It was set in four centres: Nottingham, Bristol, Surrey and Loughborough/Leicester.
This project addressed the lack of information on psychological problems following injury and the extent to which patients' needs are being met.
The main aims of the project were:
(a) To measure and characterise physical, psychological, social and occupational outcomes post unintentional injury, together with health and social care provision, use and cost.
(b) To quantify the impact of psychological morbidity on recovery from unintentional injury and on costs to the individual, the NHS and society.
(c) To identify service use, gaps in service provision and information needs, and barriers and drivers to access services.
(d) To inform service development to maximise recovery from unintentional injury.
Why was the project necessary?
Worldwide more than 5.8 million people die and more than 45 million are moderately or severely disabled following injury each year. This makes injuries responsible annually for 10% of all deaths and 16% of all disabilities worldwide. The number of world deaths from injury is expected to increase by 28% between 2004-2030.
Unintentional injuries also place a large burden on health care resources. They result in more than 11,000 deaths in England and Wales, three quarter of a million hospital admissions in England, resulting in more than 3.6 million bed days and 5.8 million Emergency Department (ED) attendances in the UK.
Despite the high number of deaths, hospital admissions and Emergency Department attendances in the UK, little is known about the prevalence of psychological problems following a range of injuries, the impact of psychological problems on physical, occupational and social functioning, and the consequent costs to the NHS and patients.
What did the study find?
See full list of publications from the study
See summary of the study findings for patients