Last week, we learned what injury reporting is and the “WHY” behind it. In short, injury reporting paints the whole picture of the incident so it can be avoided in the future. It also helps coaches, trainers, parents and providers make more informed care decisions! Let’s look at the “HOW” of injury reporting this week.
The reporting process consists of recording, reporting, and retaining. Coaches and trainers should record the incident, report to relevant and necessary parties, and retain the documentation for reference. Hopefully, injury/incident report forms come to mind when we think of injury reporting! Injury report forms simply document or record the injury in detail. Injury report forms contain information about the injured athlete, details about the injury, how it occurred, if the parents/guardians were contacted, names of witnesses and person completing the form, and more. Here is a helpful example of a thorough injury report form from Tewksbury Athletic Association.
The process for how to complete the form and to whom to report the incident should be streamlined and made clear to coaches and trainers. Organizations should maintain and update their reporting procedures and forms as they change. Next, copies of blank injury reports should be retained in the first aid kit and on the league's website for ease of access. Copies of completed injury report forms should also be safely retained in paper or electronic format via risk management platforms like InjureFree.
Finally, when should you report? Coaches and trainers should aim to report injuries as soon as possible.
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