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Local Injury Rates Startlingly High

Monday, 26 March 2012 07:35

Are Oxford County residents more careless, or clumsy, or both? A new comprehensive report on injury rates show Oxford County has a problem with falls, car crashes and sports injuries, among others. Local rates are consistently higher than the provincial averages in the Ontario Injury Data Report, which drilled down into numbers from 2007-2009. Oxford County's new Epidemiologist, Gillian Alton says the biggest area of concern is falls. "We're seeing higher rates in seniors, as well as those under the age of 5. So young children and seniors are seeing the highest rates of falls." The study shows over 4000 reports of falls per 100,000 were reported to the ER, versus a provincial average of over 2900. Michael Gorgey, Program supervisor of Health Promotion says that kind of rate can be a big drain on the healthcare system. "Truly 9 out of 10 injuries are predictable and preventable. We need to have our community think more and make better decisions regarding motor vehicle collisions, texting and driving, things that are preventable, hopefully we can bring the rates down and we can save ourselves and our community a lot of money, and grief." It is estimated injuries cost Ontario $6.8-Billion a year in healthcare costs and lost productivity. Here's a look at some of the rates that are a cause for concern for Oxford County: Provincial Rate Oxford County (per 100,000) Falls -ER Visits 2935.5 4089 -Hospital Visits 280.3 339.5 MV -ER Visits 510 747.6 Collisions -Hptl. Visits 31.6 54.9 Sports -ER Visits 1259.3 2338.4 Injuries -Hptl. Visits 21.3 26.3

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