Randall W. Dick, FACSM

Institution:National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)

Title: Enhancing data Accessibility, Data Quality and Participation for the Web-based NCAA Injury Surveillance system (ISS)

Abstract:Purpose: 1) Update the Web-based NCAA Injury Surveillance System (ISS) to enhance data quality, analysis and participation and 2) Improve accessibility to aggregate ISS data for researchers and public.

The NCAA established the ISS in 1982 with a primary goal of collecting injury and exposure data from NCAA institutions to assist in evidence-based decision making on health and safety issues. A secondary goal is to provide institutions and researchers with injury information. Specific ISS analysis has led to rule changes in ice hockey (hitting from behind – 1995), football (incorporating preseason acclimatization – 2003); (revised spearing rule – 2005); (reducing spring contact – 1997), and women’s lacrosse (mandating protective eyewear – 2003).

In 2004, the ISS was converted to a Web-based injury tracking system designed to be a primary institutional medical-legal record and was expanded to cover all NCAA championship, emerging, and club/intramural sports. Approximately 200 schools are currently participating.

The Web-based ISS has as its foundation a complex relational database that captures significant information in three areas: injuries, exposures and treatments. The system was designed for ease of use; however, there are specific areas that need modification to increase application (e.g. capturing perceived high risk activities such as pole vault, platform diving, cheerleading mounts that are “hidden” inside sport categories) and data quality (e.g. automated imbedded “checks”). Because the ISS remains voluntary, responding to user needs and feedback is essential to maintaining and growing participation.

A second need is developing a mechanism for efficiently accessing, analyzing and reporting the volume of data for the original ISS (1988-2003) with over 180,000 injuries and over 1 million exposures) and the Web-based ISS data (2004-2007 already over 50,000 injuries and 300,000 exposures). We anticipate a significant increase in data requests with the publication of the original data in an upcoming special issue of the Journal of Athletic Training while the “new” Web-based relational database requires significant programming to enhance data accessibility.

While the NCAA has invested significant human and financial resources in the ISS over the past 25 years (particularly the last five while converting to a Web-based system), it is currently challenged to provide needed ISS programming due to the resources needed to support the recent addition of the high school eligibility clearinghouse.

This application requests funding to pay for 1) programming of requested modifications to the Web-based ISS to enhance data quality, analysis/application and participation and 2) programming to enhance accessibility to 20 years of ISS data in two distinct formats. Funding will enhance sport injury data collection and application for the entire sports medicine community.

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