Camp health center usage at a Scout jamboree

To describe the incidence, reasons for, and characteristics of health center visits by campers at a Canadian provincial Scout jamboree.

A retrospective observational design utilized a medical record review process. The study sample was 804 campers present for 4,816 camper days (CDs).

There were 172 visits to the camp health center for an incidence rate of 36 per 1,000 CDs. The median length of stay was 30 minutes. Patients with illnesses were seen 1.7 times more frequently than those with injuries. One in five visits was for follow-up. More than 97% of visits occurred during the scheduled health center hours of operation. The rate of adverse events (AEs) was 3.32 per 1,000 CDs, accounting for 9.3% of all visits.

The incidence of health center visits and AEs are consistent with studies conducted with other resident camps. Camp administrators, organizers, and healthcare personnel must be prepared to provide care for a wide range of illnesses and injuries at camp. Understanding the trends associated with camp health center usage allows adequate personnel and physical resources to be prepared and identifies increased usage levels. Nurses can use this information to advocate for nurses to be employed at camps to aid in health prevention services as well as to manage illnesses and injuries.