Traumatic occupational injury research at NIOSH is
conducted within a public health framework. In the injury research
strategy developed by the interdisciplinary NORA
Traumatic Injury Team, the authors write:
Toward the goal of setting priorities, developing collaborative
efforts, and developing new research methodologies, the many scientific
disciplines will apply different models to occupational injury
research (e.g., the public health model, the risk management model,
the safety sciences model). All of these are variations of the
scientific model—an objective, problem-solving process. For
this paper, the public health model is used as a framework to
discuss occupational injury research and prevention. The elements
of this model include:
A. Identify and prioritize problems (Injury Surveillance);
B. Quantify and prioritize risk factors (Analytic Injury Research);
C. Identify existing or develop new strategies to prevent occupational
injuries (Prevention and Control);
D. Implement the most effective injury control measures (Communication/Dissemination/
Technology Transfer); and
E. Monitor the results of intervention efforts (Evaluation).
The process is an iterative one requiring continuous monitoring
to ensure that strategies implemented actually reduce or eliminate
the exposure or outcome as the intervention progresses and do
not create unacceptable new risks. There are specific traumatic
occupational injury research needs within each of these phases
of the public health model.
(From the NORA strategy document Traumatic Occupational
Injuries: Research Needs and Priorities--NIOSH Pub. No. 98-134)
