30 Apr Rate of Law Enforcement Associated Injuries Has Remained Stable Over Time
Posted at 23:37h
in Accidents & Violence, Author Interviews, JAMA, Mental Health Research, Surgical Research
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Elinore J. Kaufman, MD, MSHP
Department of Surgery, New York
Presbyterian Hospital Weill Cornell Medicine
New York, New York
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?
Response: Deaths of civilians in contact with police have recently gained national public and policy attention. However, we know very little about nonfatal injuries, which far outnumber deaths.
MedicalResearch.com: What should readers take away from your report?
Response: Nonfatal injuries are much more pervasive than law enforcement-associated deaths, and rates have remained stable over several years, at approximately 51,000 emergency department visits and hospitalizations each year.
These injuries primarily affect young men, and mental illness is a common theme. As a physician, my goal is always to get to zero preventable injuries.