How comparable are road traffic crash cases in hospital admissions data and police records? An examination of data linkage rates
- Authors: Lujic, Sanja , Finch, Caroline , Boufous, Soufiane , Hayen, Andrew , Dunsmuir, William
- Date: 2008
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Australian And New Zealand Journal Of Public Health Vol. 32, no. 1 (2008), p. 28-33
- Relation: Open Access
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: OBJECTIVES: An assessment of linked data was used to investigate the scope and the extent to which hospitalisations data and police crash records represent road crashes in New South Wales (NSW). METHODS: Hospital separation records for the period 1 July 2000 to 30 June 2001, inclusive, were linked to police crash casualty records for the same period using probabilistic record linkage techniques. Multivariable logistic regression techniques were used to identify factors independently associated with the probability of record linkage. RESULTS: Of 17,552 road transport-related hospital records, 45.1% matched to police crash casualty records. When the analysis was restricted to road traffic crashes, 69.2% of the 9,178 records had a matching police crash casualty record. Multivariable analysis found the most significant factors contributing to the likelihood of linkage to be road user type, payment status and principal diagnosis of injury variables. Motor vehicle controllers, cases entitled to financial compensation and cases with a principal diagnosis of injury were significantly more likely to be linked than all other cases. CONCLUSIONS: The findings indicate that researchers and policy makers should be cautious when examining traffic crashes based on a separate analysis of the hospitalisations data and police crash records. This is particularly true for crashes involving pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists, and those resulting in less severe injuries. IMPLICATIONS: The findings have implications for use of both police crash records and hospital records in informing the development of strategies designed to prevent road trauma in the community.
- Description: 2003006566
The impact of environmental, vehicle and driver characteristics on injury severity in older drivers hospitalized as a result of a traffic crash
- Authors: Boufous, Soufiane , Finch, Caroline , Hayen, Andrew , Williamson, Ann
- Date: 2008
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Journal of Safety Research Vol. 39, no. 1 (2008), p. 65-72
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Introduction: Compared to younger age groups, older people are more likely to be seriously injured or to die as a result of a traffic crash. Method: The aim of the study is to examine the impact of environmental, vehicle, crash, and driver characteristics on injury severity in older drivers involved in traffic crashes by using recently linked police crash records and hospitalization data from New South Wales, Australia. The severity of injury resulting from traffic crashes was measured using the International Classification of Diseases, 10th revision (ICD-10) Injury Severity Score (ICISS). Results: Multivariate analysis identified rurality, presence of complex intersections, road speed limit, driver error, speeding, and seat belt use as independent predictors of injury severity in older people. The type of intersection configuration explained over half of the observed variations in injury severity. Impact on Industry: Environmental modification such as intersection treatments might contribute to a decrease in the severity of injury in older people involved in road crashes.
- Description: 2003006544