DoD Military Injury Prevention Priorities Working Group: Leading Injuries, Causes and Mitigation Recommendations
Abstract
The past decade has witnessed growing recognition that injuries are a leading cause of morbidity and mortality for the U.S. Military, eroding combat readiness more than any other single disease or health condition in this generally healthy and physically active population, which is relatively free of competing causes of death and severe illness. In the 1990s, medical and safety data revealed that across the Services accidental injuries caused (Atlas of Injuries in U.S. Armed Forces, Military Medicine, 1999): * 47% (Air Force) to 57% (Marine Corps) of all deaths; * 22% (Air Force) to 63% (Navy and Marine Corps) of all disabilities; and * 22% (Air Force) to 31% (Marine Corps) of all hospitalizations. Further, Service member injuries cost hundreds of millions of dollars annually, consuming Services resources and challenging operational effectiveness. To address the magnitude of the injury problem of the U.S. Military, in 2003 the Secretary of Defense mandated that rates of accidents and injuries must be significantly reduced and established the Defense Safety Oversight Council (DSOC) to provide governance on DoD-wide efforts to reduce preventable mishaps. Subsequently, the DSOC requested the establishment of the DoD Military Injury Prevention Priorities Working Group (DMIPPWG) (Appendix A) to outline a systematic, coordinated approach to injury prevention similar to the public health approach outlined in the Atlas of Injuries (Military Medicine, 1999). This white paper describes the DMIPPWG's process for establishing an evidence-based ranking of DoD prevention priorities, presents a DoD-wide process for analysis, and provides recommendations for intervention initiatives.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Feb 01, 2006
- Accession Number
- ADA458257
Entities
People
- Bruce Burnham
- Bruce Ruscio
- Jack Smith
- Jerry Anslinger
- John Campbell
- Kurt Garbow
- Michelle Chervak
- Paul Amoroso
- Richard Garver
- Steve Bullock
Organizations
- Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs