Affiliations: Faculty of Health Sciences, The University of Sydney,
Lidcombe, NSW, Australia
Note: [] Address for correspondence: Dr. Kate O'Loughlin, Faculty of
Health Sciences, The University of Sydney, Cumberland Campus, Lidcombe, NSW
1825, Australia. Tel.: +61 2 9351 9349; Fax: +61 2 9351 9540; E-mail:
kate.oloughlin@sydney.edu.au
Abstract: Objective: To pilot an injury reporting form designed for use in
Australian surf lifesaving; the need for such a form is to meet legislative
requirements and as an initial step in developing an injury prevention program
for volunteer surf lifesavers [4]. Participants: Competitors at the
National Surf Life Saving Championships (NSLSC) held at Kurrawa Beach,
Queensland, in 1998/1999 who reported to the medical tent over the course of
the five-day event. Twenty-five volunteers of varying experience staffed the
medical tent and included one paramedic coordinator, two doctors, three nurses,
three physiotherapists and 16 first-aid officers. Method: An injury
reporting form was designed using the Australian Sports Injury Data
Dictionary [1] and pilot tested at the NSLSC in 1998/1999. The layout and
format were based on similar forms used in other sports (eg skiing) with a
number of the items altered to be more specific to surf lifesaving competition
events. Four strategies were used to assess if the form provided interpretable
data: number of forms returned; completeness of data recorded in each section;
detailed analysis of difficulties in coding and entering data; detailed
feedback from the medical tent personnel about the usability of the form. Results: A total of 433 completed forms were returned and from these both
descriptive and injury incidence data were obtained. Medical tent personnel
reported the form to be generally usable, though they suggested some changes to
it. Conclusions: The injury reporting form was found to be an effective
tool to describe injuries and calculate injury incidence. Following minor
revisions, a modified form was designed to improve the quality and accuracy of
the information obtained; this form has been used nationally since 2001.
