Physiotherapy - Research Publications

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    Erratum: Injury surveillance in community cricket: A new innings for South Africa.
    Olivier, B ; Obiora, OL ; MacMillan, C ; Finch, C (AOSIS, 2022)
    [This corrects the article DOI: 10.4102/sajp.v78i1.1756.].
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    Injury surveillance in community cricket: A new inning for South Africa.
    Olivier, B ; Obiora, OL ; MacMillan, C ; Finch, C (AOSIS, 2022)
    UNLABELLED: Published injury rates amongst elite and club-level youth cricketers highlight the need to implement injury risk-reducing strategies amongst the youth cricketing population. Data from sports injury surveillance systems are a prerequisite for the development and evaluation of strategies to reduce injury risk. Therefore, collecting injury surveillance data is a positive move towards reducing injuries in cricket. In South Africa, a systematic, standardised, evidence-informed injury surveillance system currently does not exist for community levels of play, namely, in cricket-playing high schools and cricket clubs. Although injury surveillance systems exist at elite levels, the obvious differences in elite versus community cricket settings mean that these systems cannot be implemented in their current form at community-level cricket. An innovative model is required to implement an injury surveillance system in community cricket. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: This article proposes and describes a new research-practice partnership model to implement a systematic, standardised, evidence-informed injury surveillance system at cricket-playing high schools or cricket clubs within South Africa. Once this model has been employed, database systems will need to be established to allow long-term data management and sharing.
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    Improving musculoskeletal injury surveillance methods in Special Operation Forces: A Delphi consensus study.
    Stannard, J ; Finch, CF ; Fortington, LV ; Bachynski, K (Public Library of Science (PLoS), 2022)
    Musculoskeletal injury mitigation is a priority in military organisations to protect personnel health and sustain a capable workforce. Despite efforts to prevent injury, inconsistencies exist in the evidence used to support these activities. There are many known limitations in the injury surveillance data reported in previous Special Operation Forces (SOF) research. Such studies often lack accurate, reliable, and complete data to inform and evaluate injury prevention activities. This research aimed to achieve expert consensus on injury surveillance methods in SOF to enhance the quality of data that could be used to inform injury prevention in this population. A Delphi study was conducted with various military injury surveillance stakeholders to seek agreement on improving surveillance methods in SOF. Iterative questionnaires using close and open-ended questions were used to collect views about surveillance methods related to injury case definitions and identifying essential and optional data requirements. Consensus was predefined as 75% group agreement on an item. Sixteen participants completed two rounds of questionnaires required. Consensus was achieved for 17.9% (n = 7) of questions in the first-round and 77.5% (n = 38) of round two questions. Several challenges for surveillance were identified, including recording injury causation, SOF personnel's injury reporting behaviours influencing accurate data collection, and surveillance system infrastructure limitations. Key military injury surveillance stakeholders support the need for improved data collection to enhance the evidence that underpins injury prevention efforts. The consensus process has resulted in preliminary recommendations to support future SOF injury surveillance.
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    Injury deaths in Australian sport and recreation: Identifying and assessing priorities for prevention
    Fortington, L ; McIntosh, AS ; Finch, CF ; Geßlein, M (PUBLIC LIBRARY SCIENCE, 2021-04-22)
    INTRODUCTION: Sport and recreation is beneficial for health and wellbeing but comes with a probability of loss, including occasional fatal injuries. Following high-profile injury deaths in Australia, concerns are raised regarding the safety of sport participation. To understand the scale and scope of injury deaths, and identify potential prevention opportunities, the aim of this investigation was to describe the number and nature of fatal injuries in Australian sport and recreation. METHODS: This is a retrospective cohort study of injury deaths reported between 1 July 2000 to 31 December 2019 using data from the National Coronial Information System, Australia. Unintentional deaths with an external cause, where the activity was recorded as sport and exercise during leisure time were included. Drowning deaths were excluded. Presented are the number and % of cases by age, sex, sport, broad cause and annual crude death rate (population). RESULTS: There were 1192 deaths, averaging 63 per year. Deaths were mostly in males (84.4%), with the largest proportion in people aged 15-24 years (23.1%). Wheeled motor (26.9%) and non-motor (16.2%) sports accounted for the highest proportion of cases. The primary mechanism of death was most commonly blunt force (85.4%), followed by piercing/penetrating force (5.0%). The years 2001 and 2005 recorded the highest crude injury death rate (2001, n = 92, 0.47 per 100,000 population; 2005, n = 95, 0.47 per 100,000 population). CONCLUSIONS: On average, there is more than one injury death per week in a sport or recreation setting in Australia. Cases occurred in many sports and recreation activities, including those generally considered to be safe (e.g. individual athletic activities, team ball sports.) Detailed investigation of the coronial recommendations that are present within each case is now needed to understand and identify potential prevention opportunities.
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    Integrating and maintaining automated external defibrillators and emergency planning in community sport settings: a qualitative case study
    Fortington, L ; Bekker, S ; Finch, CF (BMJ PUBLISHING GROUP, 2020-10)
    INTRODUCTION: A voluntary State Government-led programme in Victoria, Australia 'Defibrillators for Sporting Clubs and Facilities Program' ran from 2015 to 2019, broadly aimed at increasing access to automated external defibrillators (AEDs), together with a greater number of community members trained for management of medical emergencies. This study aimed to understand whether participating sport clubs/facilities had successfully integrated an AED and medical planning with other club/facility safety practices, 12 months after delivery of the programme. METHODS: This was a qualitative case study of 14 sport clubs/facilities in Victoria, Australia in 2017, underpinned by the Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, Maintenance (RE-AIM) framework. We conducted observational audits of facilities (to locate AED placement, signage and other relevant location-specific factors) and semi-structured, face-to-face interviews with representatives of the clubs/facilities. Interview questions were designed to determine if and how the related, mandated emergency management programme was adapted for the long term (embedding), whether this aligned to ongoing organisational mission (active engagement), and whether or not it was still ongoing 6 months postinitial implementation (sustainability). Data were evaluated using qualitative descriptive methodology. For reporting, descriptive summaries of the audit were combined with interview data to contextualise and visualise the sport club/facility setting and key results. RESULTS: Key issues identified were accessibility and visibility of the AED, with inadequate signage and challenges identifying an efficient location for access and storage. Most interviewees reported the AED and training were received with no further actions taken towards safety planning or integration with club/facility practice. Several challenges regarding remaining up to date with training and ensuring required routine checks of the AED take place were also raised. CONCLUSIONS: This study identified several challenges for community sport clubs/facilities in the implementation of an AED and medical planning programme, including where to store the AED, how to make its presence known to the community and how to integrate changes alongside other club/facility practices.
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    Document analysis of exertional heat illness policies and guidelines published by sports organisations in Victoria, Australia
    Gamage, PJ ; Finch, CF ; Fortington, L (BMJ PUBLISHING GROUP, 2020)
    OBJECTIVES: To conduct a document and content analysis of exertional heat illness (EHI)-related documents published by sports organisations in Victoria, Australia, in order to determine their scope and evidence base against current international best practice recommendations. METHODS: A qualitative document and content analysis. Official documents relating to EHI were identified through a search of 22 Victorian sport organisation websites, supplemented by a general internet search. The content of these documents was evaluated against recommendations presented in three current international position statements on prevention and management of EHI. RESULTS: A range of document types addressing EHI were identified (n=25), including specific heat policies, match day guides, rules and regulations. Recommendations about prevention measures were the most common information presented, but these were largely focused on event modification/cancellation guidelines only (n=22; 88%). Most documents provided information on hydration as a preventive measure (n=20; 80%), but the emphasis on the importance of cooling strategies (n=7; 28%) and heat acclimatisation (n=5; 20%) was inadequate. Details on EHI, including its definition, symptoms/signs to look out for, and common risk factors (beyond humidity/high temperatures) were lacking in most documents. CONCLUSION: There is considerable variation in formal documents with regard to their content and quality of information. Continued efforts to bridge the evidence to practice gap in sports safety are therefore important. This study highlights the challenge for community sport, which relies on high-level policy and governance, across settings and populations that can differ substantially in their needs.
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    Medical-attention injuries in community cricket: a systematic review
    McLeod, G ; O'Connor, S ; Morgan, D ; Kountouris, A ; Finch, CF ; Fortington, L (BMJ PUBLISHING GROUP, 2020)
    OBJECTIVES: The aim was to identify and describe outcomes from original published studies that present the number, nature, mechanism and severity of medically treated injuries sustained in community-level cricket. DESIGN: Systematic review. METHODS: Nine databases were systematically searched to December 2019 using terms "cricket*" and "injur*". Original, peer-reviewed studies reporting injury for at least one injury descriptor (body region, nature of injury and/or mechanism of injury) in community-level cricketers of all ages were included. Qualitative synthesis, critical appraisal and descriptive summary results are reported within the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. RESULTS: Six studies were included: five reported hospital-treated data and one reported insurance claims data. Two had a low risk of bias. In hospital-based studies, fractures were the most frequent injury type. Upper and lower limb injuries (age ≥15 years) and injuries to the head (age <15 years) were the most common body region injured. Being struck by the ball was the most common mechanism for injury presenting to hospitals. Children were also commonly struck by equipment. One study using insurance claims data reported soft tissue injuries as the main of injury type. CONCLUSION: Hospital treatment data were most prominent, which emphasised injuries of a more serious nature or requiring acute care. These injuries were primarily fractures, dislocation/sprain and strains, bruising and open wounds with the majority resulting from players being struck by the ball. Research into whether properly fitted protective equipment, at an approved standard, is worn and is effective, is recommended.
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    International Olympic Committee Consensus Statement: Methods for Recording and Reporting of Epidemiological Data on Injury and Illness in Sports 2020 (Including the STROBE Extension for Sports Injury and Illness Surveillance (STROBE-SIIS))
    Bahr, R ; Clarsen, B ; Derman, W ; Dvorak, J ; Emery, CA ; Finch, CF ; Hagglund, M ; Junge, A ; Kemp, S ; Khan, KM ; Marshall, SW ; Meeuwisse, W ; Mountjoy, M ; Orchard, JW ; Pluim, B ; Quarrie, KL ; Reider, B ; Schwellnus, M ; Soligard, T ; Stokes, KA ; Timpka, T ; Verhagen, E ; Bindra, A ; Budgett, R ; Engebretsen, L ; Erdener, U ; Chamari, K (SAGE PUBLICATIONS INC, 2020-02)
    BACKGROUND: Injury and illness surveillance, and epidemiological studies, are fundamental elements of concerted efforts to protect the health of the athlete. To encourage consistency in the definitions and methodology used, and to enable data across studies to be compared, research groups have published 11 sport- or setting-specific consensus statements on sports injury (and, eventually, illnesses) epidemiology to date. OBJECTIVE: To further strengthen consistency in data collection, injury definitions, and research reporting through an updated set of recommendations for sports injury and illness studies, including a new Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) checklist extension. STUDY DESIGN: Consensus statement of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). METHODS: The IOC invited a working group of international experts to review relevant literature and provide recommendations. The procedure included an open online survey, several stages of text drafting and consultation by working groups, and a 3-day consensus meeting in October 2019. RESULTS: This statement includes recommendations for data collection and research reporting covering key components: defining and classifying health problems, severity of health problems, capturing and reporting athlete exposure, expressing risk, burden of health problems, study population characteristics, and data collection methods. Based on these, we also developed a new reporting guideline as a STROBE extension-the STROBE Sports Injury and Illness Surveillance (STROBE-SIIS). CONCLUSION: The IOC encourages ongoing in- and out-of-competition surveillance programs and studies to describe injury and illness trends and patterns, understand their causes, and develop measures to protect the health of the athlete. The implementation of the methods outlined in this statement will advance consistency in data collection and research reporting.
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    International Olympic Committee consensus statement: methods for recording and reporting of epidemiological data on injury and illness in sport 2020 (including STROBE Extension for Sport Injury and Illness Surveillance (STROBE-SIIS))
    Bahr, R ; Clarsen, B ; Derman, W ; Dvorak, J ; Emery, CA ; Finch, CF ; Haegglund, M ; Junge, A ; Kemp, S ; Khan, KM ; Marshall, SW ; Meeuwisse, W ; Mountjoy, M ; Orchard, JW ; Pluim, B ; Quarrie, KL ; Reider, B ; Schwellnus, M ; Soligard, T ; Stokes, KA ; Timpka, T ; Verhagen, E ; Bindra, A ; Budgett, R ; Engebretsen, L ; Erdener, U ; Chamari, K (BMJ PUBLISHING GROUP, 2020-04)
    Injury and illness surveillance, and epidemiological studies, are fundamental elements of concerted efforts to protect the health of the athlete. To encourage consistency in the definitions and methodology used, and to enable data across studies to be compared, research groups have published 11 sport-specific or setting-specific consensus statements on sports injury (and, eventually, illness) epidemiology to date. Our objective was to further strengthen consistency in data collection, injury definitions and research reporting through an updated set of recommendations for sports injury and illness studies, including a new Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) checklist extension. The IOC invited a working group of international experts to review relevant literature and provide recommendations. The procedure included an open online survey, several stages of text drafting and consultation by working groups and a 3-day consensus meeting in October 2019. This statement includes recommendations for data collection and research reporting covering key components: defining and classifying health problems; severity of health problems; capturing and reporting athlete exposure; expressing risk; burden of health problems; study population characteristics and data collection methods. Based on these, we also developed a new reporting guideline as a STROBE Extension-the STROBE Sports Injury and Illness Surveillance (STROBE-SIIS). The IOC encourages ongoing in- and out-of-competition surveillance programmes and studies to describe injury and illness trends and patterns, understand their causes and develop measures to protect the health of the athlete. Implementation of the methods outlined in this statement will advance consistency in data collection and research reporting.