Self-harm and Violence Presenting to Emergency Care Registry (SAVER) project: protocol for a mixed-methods study

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Injury Prevention
• Health Informatics

Background:

• Intentional injuries, including self-harm and interpersonal violence, are significant public health issues in Wales.
• Existing interpersonal violence surveillance in Wales has limitations in variables and completeness.
• There is currently no dedicated self-harm register in Wales.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of current data collection systems for self-harm and interpersonal violence in North Wales.
• To identify unmet needs in data collection for intentional injury prevention.
• To explore the feasibility and potential implementation of a self-harm and interpersonal violence registry.

Main Methods:

• Process mapping of patient access to emergency care and data collection pathways.
• Analysis of routinely collected data to assess disease burden and system limitations.
• Semi-structured interviews with stakeholders and third sector organizations.

Main Results:

• The study will determine the necessity of a self-harm and interpersonal violence registry in Wales.
• Findings will inform local and national strategies for preventing intentional injuries.
• Results will be disseminated to relevant services and published.

Conclusions:

• The study's findings will guide decisions on implementing a comprehensive registry.
• This initiative aims to enhance the public health approach to intentional injury prevention.
• Improved data collection can lead to more effective interventions for self-harm and interpersonal violence.