Evaluation of Injury Rates During Implementation of the Fort Drum Running Shoe Injury Prevention Program

Abstract

The Ft Drum Running Shoe Injury Prevention Program was initiated in November 1999 and consists of three parts: (1) a foot evaluation where medical personnel determined the soldier's foot arch height, ankle flexibility, and body weight, (2) a running shoe recommendation based on the foot evaluation, and (3) the actual shoe purchase by the soldier. This epidemiological consultation (EPICON) examined the effectiveness of the program by examining injury rates before and during the program. A historical cohort design was used. International Classification of Diseases, Version 9 (ICD-9) codes representing overuse-related injuries in the lower extremity or low back regions were downloaded from the local Ambulatory Data System (ADS). All visits to the Physical Therapy Clinic between 1 August 1998 and 31 January 2001 by active duty soldiers were considered in the analysis. Denominator data (soldiers on post) were obtained from the 10th Mountain Division S-1 Office (Personnel Section). Average +/- standard deviation total injury rates were 36.8 +/- 7.1 cases/1000 soldiers/month in the Pre-Intervention period (August 1998 through October 1999) and 18.6 +/- 4.4 cases/1000 soldiers/month in the Intervention period (July 2000 through January 2001) (relative risk = 2.0, p < 0.01). Thus, a decline in injury rates corresponded in time to the implementation of the program suggesting an association between this program and the lower injury rates. However, a major potential confounder was the switch from the use of the Ambulatory Data System (ADS) to the KG-ADS system during February to March 2000. KG-ADS required medical care providers to scroll through a list of diagnoses on their computer screens and was considered cumbersome and time-consuming, possibly resulting in provider impatience and miscoding.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Oct 01, 2001
Accession Number
ADA404707

Entities

People

  • David Feltwell
  • Joseph J Knapik
  • Keith Hauret
  • Michelle Canham-chervak
  • Stephanie Arnold

Organizations

  • United States Army Center for Health Promotion and Preventive Medicine

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Back Injuries
  • Biomechanical Phenomena
  • Bone Fractures
  • Computers
  • Foot Bones
  • Health Services
  • Information Science
  • Injury Prevention
  • Leg Injuries
  • Lower Extremity
  • Medical Personnel
  • Physical Therapy
  • Public Health
  • Seasonal Variations
  • Test And Evaluation
  • Therapy
  • Wounds And Injuries

Readers

  • Computer Science.
  • Medical or Health Care Field.
  • Neurotrauma and Rehabilitation Medicine.