West Virginia University Injury Control Research Center
James Helmkamp
Project Title: Assessing the Impact of a Training Video on Reducing
Injuries among West Virginia Loggers
West Virginia University Injury Control Research Center
886 Chestnut Ridge Road
Morgantown, WV 26506-6845
Phone: 304-293-6682
Fax: 304-293-0265
E-mail: jhelmkamp@hsc.wvu.edu
Project Title: Determining the Incidence, Severity, Cost, and
Psychosocial Impact of All Terrain Vehicle (ATV)–related Injuries
Project Period: 09/30/04- 09/29/07
Description: Although sound injury mortality data is available in
West Virginia, a standardized, reliable, and accurate surveillance system
for nonfatal injuries did not exist in the state until mandated in 2003. The
ascertainment of nonfatal injuries is particularly important concerning
injuries resulting from ATV crashes, where West Virginia led the nation in
population-based and sales-based death rates throughout the 1990s. From a
statewide perspective, fatal injuries resulting from ATV crashes have been
described fairly accurately in terms of demographics and epidemiology, but
comparable information for survivors of ATV crashes has generally not been
available, except from the larger trauma centers in the state. However, even
these data were inconsistent and often not comparable from one hospital to
another.
The development and implementation of the newly state-mandated TEMIS system
will provide near real-time EMS, communication, treatment, cost of care, and
disposition information about all patients receiving care in the nearly 70
emergency departments (EDs) and trauma centers throughout West Virginia. The
goal of this project will be to access TEMIS (through the West Virginia
University Hospital ED and Level 1 Trauma Center) as the primary data source
to comprehensively identify and describe ATV incidents (both fatal and
nonfatal) and collect valuable epidemiological information that follows the
victim (patient) from the crash scene, through definitive care, to final
disposition. Specific aims of the study are to (1) describe common event
demographics; (2) provide an epidemiological profile of the patient and a
description of their injuries; (3) describe the burden of ATV injuries in
terms of incidence, cost, and psychological impact; (4) provide data to
facilitate the monitoring of ATV-specific objectives in the WV Healthy
People 2010 plan; and (5) provide data to inform and educate public health
officials and state lawmakers.
Project Title: Safety Helmet Use and Rider Habits
Project Period: 09/30/04- 09/29/06
Description: This project will determine the public’s knowledge about
required helmet use, their perceptions of risk, and riding habits associated
with ATV use in West Virginia. Investigators will conduct a statewide survey
about ATV use and riding among a sample of randomly selected West Virginia
residents. The survey will address their knowledge of helmets and protective
gear, exposure and risk, and regulations and training for operators,
especially young adults and youth 16 and under.
Specific aims are to:
Project Period: 09/30/04- 09/29/07
Description: This project’s goal is to determine if workers’
compensation claim rates have decreased as a result of WVDOF logging
industry safety initiatives. Specifically, the project will (1) use WV
claims data to describe the occurrence and epidemiology of injury before and
after a training video module was incorporated in the logger certification
program; (2) determine if the training video module influenced injury trend,
rates, and costs; and (3) evaluate the impact of the training video
intervention on cost of injury (medical and disability) and rates of
disability (temporary total and permanent partial disability).