Injury claim research Over the past four years we have conducted a significant amount of analysis relating to injury claims (ACC data). The insights we have developed through this analysis have significantly helped to shape our prevention work. We will continue to analyse this data and monitor the changes as we move forward. However, recently we have exhausted all possibilities to learn anything new, because the data does not capture everything we want to know. For example, the data does not tell us exact injury locations, or what caused/ contributed to the injury occurring. Knowing that there was a lot more we wanted to know about injuries, we conducted a large-scale research project involving those people who had suffered a tramping injury in the last 5 years. In partnership with Research NZ and ACC, we sent surveys to 5,000 approved injury claimants. This was a complex research process as Research NZ had to gain access to, and manage, the personal contact details of these claimants, this required ACC Ethics Committee approval. Each person had suffered a moderate to severe injury while tramping, over the last five years. We wanted to know (amongst other things): » The exact track they were on when their injury occurred » From their perspective, what caused their injury » Whether they were tramping solo or as part of a group. The research project was made more complex because we had to send most surveys via the post, due to a lack of electronic contact information. Therefore, the process has spanned many months, a lot longer than a typical online survey. Additionally, the survey begun just prior to COVID-19, so the various Alert Level changes have impacted the progress. Very recently the survey period ended. Overall the response rate was a pleasing 29%, with a margin of error +/- 2.7% at the 95% confidence level. For a survey that primarily required postal distribution this is a good result. Overall, we received just under 1,250 completed responses. Throughout October and November, the detailed submissions will be collated and analysed, with results available ahead of Christmas 2020. We look forward to sharing the results with our Council Members and partners as soon as they are available. We are also excited to incorporate this new insight into our on-going prevention work.
PHOTO: Jo Stilwell
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