Citation

American Trauma Society. 2023-02. Falls Church, VA USA: American Trauma Society, 2023.

Copyright

(Copyright 2023)

The full document is available online.

Abstract

Injury and violence have a significant impact on the health and well-being of the U.S. population and are the leading cause of death for Americans ages 1 to 44.1 In 2021, 224,935 people were killed by unintentional injuries; an additional 48,183 persons died by suicide and 26,031 persons died by homicide in the United States.2 Non-fatal injuries affect millions more Americans who are left with life-changing mental, physical and financial challenges. The cost of injuries and violence in the U.S. is staggering. The 2019 cost of injury in the U.S. was $4.2 trillion, accounting for total lifetime medical, lost work productivity, as well as estimates of cost for lost quality of life and lives lost.3 These substantial costs, both human and financial, drastically underscores the importance of Injury and Violence Prevention Programs (IVPP) as a cost- effective measure to reduce injury. Released by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) every decade since 1980, the Healthy People initiative is designed to guide national health promotion and disease prevention efforts to improve the health of the nation. Healthy People 2030 sets data-driven national objectives to improve health and well-being over the next decade that include injury prevention.4 Without the commitment of resources and personnel to facilitate these goals, measurable improvement cannot be accomplished.

Hospital Based Injury and Violence Prevention Programs

Since the first trauma centers were established in 1966, hospitals have had an important role in injury prevention as part of inclusive trauma systems.5 The American College of Surgeons (ACS) describes optimal trauma care as a comprehensive approach that includes prevention, access, acute hospital care, rehabilitation and research. In 1992, injury prevention programming became a requirement for trauma center verification by the ACS. The ACS requires all verified trauma centers have an organized and effective approach to injury and violence prevention and provides broad guidelines in the Resources for Optimal Care of the Injured Patient document.6 Beyond simply following these guidelines, it is critical that trauma systems, with either ACS verified and/or state designated centers, recognize that effective prevention and ...