Background: The goal of this study was to use multiple state-based data sources (emergency department [ED] visits, hospital discharge [HD] data, and workers' compensation [WC] data) to estimate the 2011 work-related concussion injury rate in Kentucky.
Methods: Deterministic data linkages between the 2011 WC data and ED/HD data were performed. Annual crude rates of work-related concussions per 100,000 employed civilians age 16 years or older were reported.
Results: Using the three data sources, the 2011 work-related concussion crude rate was 31.8/100,000, higher for men (38.8/100,000) than for women (24.1/100,000). The use of WC data alone resulted in an estimated rate of only 11.7/100,000. ED data utilization alone resulted in a rate of 21.7/100,000.
Conclusion: This study's primary recommendation is to use WC, ED, and HD data on a routine basis as part of multiple data source surveillance for work-related concussion injuries.
Keywords: concussion; emergency department visits; hospitalizations; multiple data sources; surveillance; work-related; workers' compensation.
© 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.