Implementation of effective policies for the prevention of unintentional injuries: a feasibility study in European countries

Aim The study objective was to assess the feasibility for injury prevention-related policy transfer among European countries. Subject and methods A prototype for policy feasibility evaluation was developed and used. Each prototype included six dimensions of barriers/facilitators regarding education, engineering and enforcement. Public health experts from Europe and the USA scored the feasibility of transferability for the selected policies in their own country. Results We found that availability of materials and public acceptability was considered as contributing to a successful policy transfer, whereas lack of financial resources was seen as a barrier. Prevention policies were more likely to be implemented in the construction and manufacturing occupational areas. Use of personal protective equipment and multiple component interventions received higher feasibility scores compared to environmental modifications or law enforcement. Conclusion We conclude that in Europe, country-specific processes undertaken before the initiation of a policy transfer may be used to highlight concurrent facilitators/barriers and guide cost-effective preventive efforts.