Overview

Tracking health outcomes and their related behavioral and environmental factors is a vital public health function. The National Academies has urged greater use of occupational injury and illness tracking data at the national level to identify priorities, focus resources, and evaluate prevention program effectiveness. In September 2009, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) partnered with the National Council on Compensation Insurance (NCCI) and the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries, Safety and Health Assessment and Research for Prevention (SHARP) program to sponsor a workshop on the use of workers' compensation data for occupational safety and health surveillance. Workshop participants came from academia, insurance companies and associations, self-insured corporations, labor unions, and state and federal government. Prominent researchers and stakeholders described and discussed potential use of workers' compensation data to track occupational injuries and illnesses, assess their burden, and identify innovative ideas for intervention. Panels concentrated on methods, the roles and perspectives of different stakeholders, and the factors that drive changes in incidence and cost. Opportunities and next steps were discussed in general sessions. These proceedings serve to inform the many stakeholders who did not attend the workshop. More importantly, these contents form a basis for continuing a dialogue on the use of workers' compensation data to track occupational injuries and to identify opportunities for protection of workers' health and well-being.