Call to Action

      A few ways to get involved:

• Write a letter to support Canada’s Strategy for Injury Prevention ‘Ending Canada’s Invisible Epidemic’ by following the step by step guide at www.timeforaction.ca.

• Join the Alberta Injury Control Alliance.

• Find out more about injuries and the Alberta Injury Control Strategy and Alliance.

• Make a donation to the Alberta Injury Control Strategy and Alliance.

• Ask us about sponsorship opportunities.

• Contact us for more information.
  
  
• Take action on the following goals, objectives and recommendations:
  
  

Alberta Injury Control Strategy - Recommended Actions

A number of actions are recommended under each of the 7 goals of the Alberta Injury Control Strategy. These recommendations came from a wide range of injury control stakeholders from across Alberta who gave input to the Alberta Injury Control Strategy through a regional consultation process. Members of the Alberta Injury Control Alliance and other injury control practitioners and advocates are encouraged to keep these recommendations in mind and to use them to help guide their planning.

Goal 1- Increase the awareness and commitment of Albertans to injury prevention

Objective 1.1   Albertans will be aware and knowledgeable about injuries and their prevention.

Recommended Actions:

1. Raise awareness about the concept of injury.
2. Raise awareness and acceptance that injuries can be prevented.
3. Encourage positive attitudes towards and social norms supporting injury prevention.
4. Develop, implement and evaluate education and community-based programs and public information campaigns aimed at high injury areas, targeting the public, professionals, media and policy makers.
5. Convene injury-related forums to focus on issues likely to influence the development of effective injury prevention interventions.
6. Provide opportunities for public and private investment in injury prevention strategies and programs.
7. Encourage integration of injury prevention strategies in related provincial and organizational business plans.
8. Encourage local governments to create safer environments.
9. Use ‘champions’, including injury survivors, to advance knowledge and awareness about injury priorities.

Objective 1.2   Albertans will take actions to reduce the major causes of injury.

Recommended Actions:

1. Implement and build on existing and proposed injury control strategies.
2. Develop and support new provincial strategies to fill gaps for leading cause of injury.
3. Encourage integration of injury prevention strategies in related provincial and organizational business plans.
4. Develop and implement an injury prevention strategy in collaboration with Aboriginal communities to address the unique needs of Aboriginal people.
5. Develop an attitude of safety in the schools through curricula and hands-on practice to integrate injury prevention and job safety into all areas of living.
6. Support graduated driver licensing to develop safe driving skills and attitudes among new drivers.
7. Promote child traffic safety initiatives to establish life-long learning about traffic safety such as pedestrian safety, school bus safety, etc.
8. Support aquatic safety initiatives.
9. Promote farm safety and management assessment tools to encourage farm businesses to implement health and safety plans.
10. Promote a culture of safety in all environments and across all sectors.
11. Encourage a community development approach to injury prevention.
12. Promote the “Safe Community” model throughout the province.
13. Provide incentives that promote positive injury prevention behaviours and environmental changes.

Goal 2 - Promote the development and enforcement of healthy public policies and legislation aimed at injury prevention

Objective 2.1   Healthy public policies and legislation will be used to support injury prevention.

Recommended Actions:

1. Implement legislative and policy reforms to support injury prevention based on evidence of benefits and costs.
2. Promote and support compliance with legislation and policies that support and facilitate injury prevention.
3. Enforce legislation and policies that support and facilitate injury prevention.
4. Evaluate the impact of legislation and policy from an injury prevention perspective.
5. Address issues regarding the number and education of enforcement officers, priorities of enforcement agencies and the criminal justice system.
6. Advocate for healthy public policies and regulations at the municipal, provincial and federal levels to reflect best practices in injury prevention.
   

Goal 3 - Build and sustain the capacity and capability to deliver effective injury prevention programs

Objective 3.1  Sustainable funding and other resources will be available to deliver effective injury prevention programs.

Recommended Actions:

1. Enhance and sustain designated funding for provincial, regional and community injury prevention initiatives based on best or promising evidence, consistent with full social impact of injury and the potential for prevention.
2. Promote and support the development and provision of injury prevention in post secondary education curricula and training for professionals.
   

Goal 4 - Increase availability of and access to comprehensive provincial injury surveillance data

Objective 4.1   A comprehensive provincial injury surveillance system will be operating for systematic injury data collection, integration, analyses, interpretation and dissemination.

Recommended Actions:

1. Develop and implement a comprehensive provincial injury surveillance system in collaboration with stakeholders.
2. Establish and require collection and submission of data on key injury indicators.
3. Facilitate access to and dissemination of injury date to stakeholders, assuring that legitimate privacy provisions are in place.
4. Facilitate training of practitioners and others in the collection and interpretation of injury surveillance data.
5. Promote funding and support of the Alberta Trauma Registry by Province-wide Services in Alberta Health and Wellness.

 

Goal 5 - Increase research and program evaluation on injury causes, injury programs and practices.

Objective 5.1  Research will be increased on risk and preventative factors, cause of injury and evidence-based injury control practices.

Recommended Actions:

1. Identify specific research gaps surrounding injury risk and preventative factors, causes and injury control practices.
2. Promote and encourage research on injury risk and preventative factors, causes and injury control initiatives with academic centres, researchers and funders.
3. Identify and disseminate information on injury risk and preventative factors, causes and effective injury control practices based on research findings.
4. Encourage organizations such as the Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research and the Canadian Institute of Health Research to dedicate special funding for increasing the capacity in injury research.
5. Work with the Canadian Injury Research Network in advancing injury prevention and control research.

Objective 5.2  Evaluations will be an integral component of all injury prevention programs and services.

Recommended Actions:

1. Facilitate evaluations of new and existing injury control programs and initiatives.
2. Facilitate and support development and continuous improvement of evaluation knowledge and skills among those providing injury control programs.
3. Support the continuous improvement of injury control programs and initiatives through the evaluation feedback loop.
4. Identify and disseminate information on effective injury control practices based on program evaluations.

 

Goal 6 - Optimize emergency response, acute care and rehabilitation services to those who are affected by injury.

Objective 6.1  Emergency response, acute care and rehabilitation programs will provide comprehensive injury assessments and transport, acute hospital care and quality rehabilitative care to those persons injured, their families and other significant supports.

Recommended Actions:

1. Implement the recommendations from the Alberta Provincial Trauma System proposal and the Spinal Cord Injury Collaboration.
2. Support the Spinal Cord Injury Collaboration in establishing priorities and strategies in the area of service delivery to persons with spinal cord injuries.
3. Support the full implementation of the recommendations outlined in the Alberta Disability Strategy.
4. Implement recommendations of the Ambulance Review Board including access to 911 and advanced life support.
5. Identify existing gaps and needs in the provision of comprehensive injury assessments through emergency response, acute care and rehabilitation.
6. Identify, develop and promote integration of quality standards of care and best practices for emergency, acute care and rehabilitation.
7. Implement specific questions addressing injury assessment and care in patient and family satisfaction surveys.
8. Develop and implement a provincial injury rehabilitation strategy to enhance re-integration of injured persons into their homes, workplaces and communities.
9. Identify existing gaps and needs in the provision of emergency, acute care and rehabilitation services to people presenting with intentional injuries.

 

Goal 7 - Strengthen partnerships among injury control stakeholders.

Objective 7.1  Stakeholders will be effectively communicating, coordinating, and collaborating on injury control initiatives.

Recommended Actions:

1. Develop and support provincial working committees to plan and coordinate efforts in each major injury area.
2. Develop provincial, regional and local coalitions to address injury priorities.
3. Encourage the sharing of human, financial and material resources among stakeholders involved in injury control initiatives.
4. Facilitate use of websites such as Health in Action for the sharing of injury control initiatives and evidence-based practices.

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