Latest News
May 2024 News
AIPN membership on the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) Product Safety Consultative Committee has just been confirmed for the next three years.
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This committee has a diverse stakeholder membership and meets twice a year to discuss new and emerging product safety issues and significant product safety projects. It provides an opportunity for AIPN to provide updates on product-related research and publications, and to bring a public health viewpoint to discussions.
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AIPN’s current representative is Catherine Niven, please contact Catherine if you have any product safety issues/projects that you would like to be included in our update to the committee (nivenc@qut.edu.au).   
AIPN membership of ACCC Product Safety Consultative Committee
Events
AIPN Events
Steady Steps Forward: Systems Thinking Approach in Fall Prevention for Older Australians
This webinar will cover the critical issue of falls prevention among older Australians, discussing both individual and systemic impacts. Falls significantly affect older adults and burden the healthcare system, exceeding $2.3 billion annually.
The presenters, Dr. Nathalia Costa, Professor Kim Delbaere, and Dr. Meghan Ambrens, co-authors of the paper “A systems approach to assist policy action to prevent falls among community-dwelling older people in Australia,” will present their findings from a thorough policy review, highlighting gaps and identifying potential pathways for improvement. They use a systems-thinking approach to understand the complex factors contributing to falls, and suggest actionable solutions for policy enhancement. Their research employs the Prevention Systems Change Framework (PSCF) to analyse the existing falls-prevention policies at the national and state levels.
The discussion will focus on essential questions regarding the current landscape of falls prevention policies, needed changes, and implementation strategies to improve outcomes. This session is aimed at healthcare professionals, policymakers, and researchers interested in public health and systemic change in falls prevention.
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Date: 22 May 2024
Time: 12.00pm- 1.00pm AWST
Location: Online via Teams
Other Events
Evaluation webinar series
Date: 8th and May 15th 2024
Time: 12:00 - 12:45 pm AWST
Location: Online via Teams
This two-part, 45-minute lunchtime webinar series will provide an overview of evaluation for health programs in WA, including how to evaluate project activities, data collection, and translation methods, how to mitigate any challenges that arise, and practical tips to support your evaluation activities.
Clinical Yarning for Injury Prevention webinar
Date: 14th May 2024
Time: 1:30 - 2:30 pm AWST
Location: Online via Teams
Effective communication between healthcare clinicians and Aboriginal patients is critical to delivering high-quality, accessible, culturally secure health care. Despite this, ineffective communication is a well-documented barrier, and few studies have reported interventions to improve communication.
Clinical Yarning is a patient-centered communication framework for Aboriginal health care. This webinar aims to explore the importance of yarning in a clinical setting for injury prevention professionals.
Dr Ivan Lin and Trevor Pickett from WA Centre for Rural Health will explore the concept of clinical yarning, how it can be implemented, and the benefits to Aboriginal communities in WA.
Are we doing enough to promote independence – How do older people rise from the floor independently?
Date: 16th May 2024
Time: 12:00pm – 1:00pm AEST
Location: Zoom Webinar
Delivered by ANZFPS, Associate Professor Elissa Burton will provide an overview of her systematic review on whether interventions are effective in improving the ability of older adults to get up off the floor independently and the two main methods used. Elissa will outline her kinematic research that identified three main methods, with different methods used across three stages (i.e., initiation, weight transfer, transition to stand) that older adults use to get up from the floor. Finally, Elissa will outline practical considerations of therapeutic/exercise interventions targeting capacity to independently get up from the floor.
Falls Prevention for Older Adults – Evidence-Based Screening and Exercise Strategies webinar
Date: 5th June 2024
Time: 10:00 - 11:00 am AWST
Location: Online via Teams
Injury Matters, in partnership with Exercise and Sports Science Australia (ESSA), is hosting a webinar on exercise for falls prevention. The webinar will provide an overview of the latest statistics on falls in Western Australia, introduce the latest evidence-based practice in falls prevention for older adults, and discuss relevant screening tools—what they are and when to use them, and evidence-based exercise strategies.
The Link between foot health, medications, and falls among older adults webinar
Date: 12th June 2024
Time: 10:00 - 11:30 am AWST
Location: Online via Teams
Injury Matters is hosting a webinar training exploring the links between foot health and falls risk, raising awareness of the link between polypharmacy, foot health and falls, while discussing ways in which health professionals can identify risk earlier when working with older adults. Guest speakers will include Dr. Amy Page, a registered consultant pharmacist and qualified biostatistician from the University of Western Australia, and Prof. Hylton Menz, professor of podiatry at La Trobe University.
Reports & Publications
Product Safety Bulletin for Infant Sleep Products
The ACCC has released a Product safety bulletin for infant sleep products. It highlights the risks with infant sleep products and the responsibilities of suppliers when it comes to making statements about their use and safety. Although targeted to suppliers, this bulletin provides insight into the regulatory approach being taken, particularly around ensuring the marketing of infant sleep products follow public health guidance, and also provides useful links to resources.
Final Report - Victorian inquiry in to the impact of road safety behaviours on vulnerable road users
The Victorian Legistlative Assembly Econom and Infrastructure Committee has tabled the final report in to the Inquiry into the impact of road safety behaviours on vulnerable road users during and post the COVID-19 pandemic. The report states that the committee found that it was too early to conclude how the pandemic affected road safety and road user behaviour. However, they did find that based on the evidence received that it appears that risky behaviour could have increased since the pandemic and many Victorians feel unsafe using the road.
The report includes 56 recommendations including:
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developing a road user hierarchy that prioritises the safety of vulnerable road users
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creating a vulnerable road users’ advisory group
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placing a greater emphasis on the safety of vulnerable road users in future road and infrastructure design and strategies
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reviewing the location of pedestrian crossings on arterial roads to ensure links exist to public transport, activity centres and schools
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reviewing the flexibility of speed zoning guidelines to reduce speeds around schools and activity centres and minimise suburban rat running
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prioritising road treatments in regional areas and running a targeted campaign on regional road safety
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investigating ways for vulnerable road users to self-report minor crashes and near misses
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improving the integration of Victoria’s road safety datasets and ensuring timely publication of data.
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The Victorian Government is required to respond to the recommendations within six months.
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Other Publications
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Berecki-Gisolf, Janneke, Bernadette Matthews, Hannah Calverley, Jonathan Abrahams, and Amy E. Peden. ‘Hospital-Admitted Drowning in Victoria, Australia, before and after the Emergence of the COVID-19 Pandemic’. Injury Prevention, 29 April 2024. https://doi.org/10.1136/ip-2023-045206.
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Carlson, B., Day, M., Farrelly, T. (2024). What works? A qualitative exploration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander healing programs that respond to family violence. Sydney: Australia's National Research Organisation for Women's Safety.
Centre of Best Practice in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Suicide Prevention (2024). A First Nations guide for truth-telling about suicide. Perth: Centre of Best Practice in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Suicide Prevention.
Chester, Lauren. ‘Safer Micromobility’. Text. ITF, 19 March 2024. https://www.itf-oecd.org/safer-micromobility.
Cormick, Alyssa, Amy Graham, Tahlee Stevenson, Kelli Owen, Kim O’Donnell, and Janet Kelly. ‘Co-Designing a Health Journey Mapping Resource for Culturally Safe Health Care with and for First Nations People’. Australian Journal of Primary Health 30, no. 3 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1071/PY23172.
Guy, Kyra, Ava Ritchie, Peninah Tumuhimbise, Emmanuel Balinda, Khoban Nasim, Moses Kalanzi, and Heather Wipfli. ‘Mixed-Methods Community Assessment of Drowning and Water Safety Knowledge and Behaviours on Lake Victoria’. Injury Prevention, 10 April 2024. https://doi.org/10.1136/ip-2023-045106.
Lambert, Alexa B. Erck, Sharyn Parks, Kristin Bergman, Carri Cottengim, Andrew Woster, Esther Shaw, Hongyan Ma, Rachel Heitmann, Tiffany Riehle-Colarusso, and Carrie Shapiro-Mendoza. ‘Understanding Three Approaches to Reporting Sudden Unexpected Infant Death in the USA’. Injury Prevention, 4 April 2024. https://doi.org/10.1136/ip-2023-044959.
Owen, Lucy, Sibella Hare Breidahl, Maud Mussared, Sandra Brownlea, and David Kault. ‘A Descriptive Study of Domestic and Family Violence Presentations to an Emergency Department in the Northern Territory’. Emergency Medicine Australasia n/a, no. n/a. Accessed 30 April 2024. https://doi.org/10.1111/1742-6723.14418.
Sawant, Dattaprasad Avinash, and Neha Vishwas Kamble. ‘Cross-Sectional Study of Education and Knowledge of Unintentional Injury Prevention and Postinjury Response given by the Parents or Caregivers of Children in Malvani Slum Area of Mumbai Suburban District, India’. Injury Prevention, 26 April 2024. https://doi.org/10.1136/ip-2023-045119.
Weatherall, Teagan J., James H. Conigrave, K. S. Kylie Lee, Julia Vnuk, Rowena Ivers, Noel Hayman, Scott Wilson, Dennis Gray, and Katherine M. Conigrave. ‘Alcohol Screening in 22 Australian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations: Clinical Context and Who Is Screened’. Drug and Alcohol Review, 19 April 2024. https://doi.org/10.1111/dar.13851.
Zhang, Yuting, John D. Nelson, and Corinne Mulley. ‘Learning from the Evidence: Insights for Regulating e-Scooters’. Transport Policy 151 (1 June 2024): 63–74. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tranpol.2024.04.001.
Members in the Media
AIPN Executive Committee Member, Prof Rebecca Ivers, research from the DRIVE study made the media earlier this month with results showing that young people who share their family car are less likely to crash than those who own their own car.
The study of young drivers in New South Wales has revealed that those who use their own car face a 30 per cent higher risk of crashing in their first year compared to those who borrow the family car.
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Read the paper here: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38401242/
Conferences
NSW Fall Prevention and Healthy Ageing Network 2024 Annual Fall Forum
Friday June 7th, 2024
Wesley Conference Centre, Sydney
 
The NSW Fall Prevention & Healthy Ageing Network Annual Forum provides a fantastic opportunity to come together and learn about the latest on fall prevention and healthy ageing. Listen to experts in their field provide an overview of the latest research, advocacy, quality improvement and fall prevention in residential aged care and hospital, and community program initiatives.
This forum also provides a fabulous opportunity to network, exchanges ideas and learn from each other.
 
Abstract submissions and registrations are now open for the 2024 annual forum, click here.
Safety 2024
The 15th World Conference on Injury Prevention & Safety Promotion #Safety2024
www.worldsafety2024.com will be hosted in the amazing rich in history and culture and architecturally beautiful City of New Delhi, India.
#Safety2024 aims to draw global attention to the critical issues surrounding safety and injury prevention. The gathering will serve as a platform for international experts in the field to come together with a shared mission of "Creating a Safer Future for All: Implementing Equitable and Sustainable Strategies for Preventing Injuries and Violence." We invite you to visit the #Safety2024 website to learn more about the World Conference, the program, and registration details. This is a unique opportunity to contribute to the global effort to reduce injuries and violence and improve trauma care, and we believe your involvement will greatly enrich the conference and help make it a resounding success.
By way of updates, a call for abstracts is now open and details can be found here.
Expressions of interest for workshops may be submitted through a Google form here.
2024 Australasian Road Safety Conference
30 September – 3 October
Join Australasia’s leading road safety and injury prevention researchers, practitioners and policy makers for the Australasian Road Safety Conference 2024.
ARSC 2024 will be held in Hobart, Tasmania. This face-to-face format will bring together road safety stakeholders and decision-makers from Australasia and international jurisdictions to facilitate collaboration and share information.
2024 ANZ Trauma Conference
Save the date for the Trauma 2024 Conference – 24 – 26 October 2024, Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre, Queensland, Australia.
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2024 SMA & ACSEP Conference
In October 2024, SMA and the ACSEP are co-convening a four-day Conference at the iconic MCG, dedicated to excellence in sports and exercise medicine, sports science and physical activity.
With an expected attendance of over 700 delegates representing the multidisciplinary field of sports medicine, it’s an event that promises to expand your knowledge and your networks. 
Global and local speakers at the forefront of their profession will share their expertise and take on cutting edge science. 
ANZBA Annual Scientific Meeting
The ANZBA ASM is the premier event for burn care leaders and practitioners in Australia and New Zealand. The ASM brings together some of the most influential leaders who drive the introduction and adoption of innovative care solutions in the pursuit of better burn care.
This year’s meeting revolves around the theme “Adapt to Thrive”. In a constantly evolving world, the ability to adapt is paramount for not just surviving but thriving.
Have you got activities you want to promote or content to share? Please send any articles to communications@aipn.com.au 27th day of each month.
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