Injury Prevention

“Prevention is the vaccine for the disease of injury.”
-Committee on Trauma, American College of Surgeons

Primary prevention practices aim to eliminate the injury from ever occurring, as with our Preventing Falls program. Secondary prevention focuses on reducing the severity of an injury when it happens, such as properly wearing a helmet while riding a bicycle. These injury prevention efforts are performed through community outreach and education, surveillance, and coordinating with local, state, and national injury prevention programs.

Ongoing: Preventing Falls

• Injuries from falling are the most common Trauma activations at Tufts Medical Center. These injuries span multiple age groups, and can take occur by tripping over objects, slipping on a slick surface, falling down stairs, or loss of balance.
• Multiple presentations have been given since 2008 in Somerville, Medford, Andover, Boston, and elsewhere. The audience is often comprised of older adults, although preventing falls is a valuable skill at any age!
• View the current version of the Falls-Prevention Brochure

Summer 2009: Helmet Program for Boston area BMX* riders.

• Developed an IRB-approved survey tool to gauge riders' attitudes towards helmet use.
• 41 local riders (ages 15-48, average age: 25) took the online survey, citing reasons for not wearing their helmet. While 80% reportedly owned a helmet, over half of those surveyed never wear a helmet while riding.
• Riders were asked why they do not wear their helmets, and the majority cited discomfort being the biggest factor. See results.
• Used this information to develop educational materials for target audience. View the BMX Helmet Program Brochure

* BMX stands for Bicycle MotoCross, referring to the type of bicycling devoted to aggressive, stunt-oriented riding, typically on 20-inch bikes.

Links

• CDC: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - Division of Unintentional Injury
• MDPH: Massachusetts Department of Public Health - Injury Prevention and Control Program
• MassPINN: Massachusetts Prevent Injuries Now! Network
• NHTSA: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration - Injury Prevention

Please feel free to use any of the brochures on this page for your own programs. For more information regarding Tufts Medical Center's Injury Prevention Programs, please contact:

Alexander Pavoll, MPH
Injury Prevention Coordinator
Trauma Division, Department of Surgery
Tufts Medical Center
800 Washington St
Box #4488
Boston, MA 02111
T (617) 636-1090
apavoll@tuftsmedicalcenter.org