CChIPS Capabilities
Engineering
Our capabilities extend to the full range of pediatric biomechanics studies: determining the injury tolerance of children and pediatric surrogates, development of test protocols, and computational modeling and simulation.
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Accident investigation with a pediatric focus:
We have extensive experience in conducting child-focused crash investigations. For nearly 10 years, our researchers have examined child-involved crash scenes, crash vehicles, and treating hospital records in order to understand the causes of pediatric crash injuries and to form the basis for innovations and recommendations for reducing that risk.
This work has been conducted most notably under the Partners for Child Passenger Safety (PCPS) study, a research partnership between The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and State Farm Insurance.
In 2005, Children’s Hospital received a five-year contract from the U.S. Department of Transportation (U.S. D.O.T.) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
to serve as the only pediatric-focused site in NHTSA’s prestigious Crash Injury Research and Engineering Network (CIREN) - a nationwide network of eight level-one trauma centers whose mission is to improve the prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation of motor vehicle crash injuries. -
Injury Biomechanics Research:
Our research in the field of injury biomechanics serves to fill in critical gaps in quantitative data on the response of children to crash forces. Research into children’s biomechanics and tolerance for injury has been extremely limited to date. The injury biomechanics research now being conducted by CChIPS provides a solid experimental foundation upon which to base efforts to mitigate injuries - thus facilitating the development of injury prevention technology. Specifically, the objectives of this research are to develop improved injury assessment devices and techniques; to inform the design of technical interventions to prevent or reduce the severity of injury; and to determine mechanisms of injury so that diagnoses and treatment can be enhanced.
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Computational Modeling:
The third methodological approach builds on the other two: both the field investigation data and injury biomechanics research are used to inform computational engineering models. These models facilitate the design of new products to mitigate the risk of injury. Led by experts in the use of rigid/ multi-body and finite element modeling, CChIPS employs a program of research and training in computational engineering that is applied to improve understanding of crash dynamics, child kinematics, and injury mechanisms.
Current crash reconstruction activities not only uncover and confirm how children are being injured, but also test the benefits or risks associated with changes in the use of safety technologies. Information provided by these models aid researchers in visualizing the mechanisms of pediatric injuries.
Behavioral Science
Too often the best-designed safety technology goes unused; knowledge of what moves people to adopt certain safety behaviors is necessary in order to develop effective interventions.
Demography and psychology are areas emerging as essential to the study of injury. Both qualitative and quantitative approaches are needed in order to make a complete study of what makes people adopt safe behaviors and habits. Expertise in the evaluation of interventions and the design of assessment tools such as focus groups and surveys are specific capabilities that cut across all social science investigation. Examples of current work include ensuring the appropriate use of child restraints among diverse populations; following expert guidelines; and reducing the incidence and severity of crashes among young drivers.
Advocacy and Outreach
Outreach experts are integral members of our team, with extensive experience in dissemination of research and best practice findings to the audiences who can best use them to effect change. These audiences can range from engineers to educators to the media to health care providers and policymakers.
Disseminating scientific research to a diverse audience requires translation of the research findings for the target audience; direct delivery of the findings to these audiences; and training programs and activities for educators who will further spread the findings. Web-based, video, and print materials enhanced by animations, illustrations, and other educational aids, further translate the research findings for many audiences. A strong media presence is also vital to reaching the public.
Clinical Care
We have extensive experience in studying psychosocial and health outcomes following accidents and injury: identifying and quantifying psychosocial consequences; developing and testing interventions to prevent and treat adverse outcomes; and wide dissemination of best practice information through our extensive collaborative networks in pediatrics, pediatric trauma, and pediatric psychology. The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, the host for CChIPS, is the leading pediatric hospital in the country according to US News and World Report and serves in a leadership capacity for child health for the nation. Further, we would build on our extensive pediatric care network that involves more than 1,000,000 outpatient visits per year and our world-class emergency medicine, transport, intensive care, and surgical units are poised to serve as a potential source of subjects for recruitment.
Epidemiology & Biostatistics
While it is important to conduct in-depth studies to determine injury mechanisms, epidemiology and statistics help to put those findings in perspective and help to prioritize next steps, determine effectiveness of products and interventions, and follow trends over time.
Our scientists are experts in the epidemiologic study of pediatric injury, the development and testing of trauma treatment and rehabilitation protocols, and other injury studies. Drawing on our large patient population, our involvement in multiple collaborative networks, including thePediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network, and our experience in running the world’s largest surveillance system of children in crashes (Partners for Child Passenger Safety), we are prepared to conduct large studies, recruit subjects and conduct extensive epidemiologic analyses on existing datasets.
Our Research
