664 EP064 – Implementing a digital surveillance system alongside injury and illness prevention programs in Indonesian professional football clubs

Background, Objective and Design Football is high-intensity sport with a high risk of injury. On a professional level, a football team with approximately 25 players can expect up to 50 injuries per season (2 injuries/player/team). Injury and illness surveillance is the first important step to develop specific prevention strategies for the team. Currently, the online digital platform has potential advantages in the surveillance process including secure data records and real-time results. This retrospective study was conducted to develop an appropriate prevention program following the digitizing surveillance system based on IOC (International Olympic Committee) Injury and Illness surveillance form. Participants and Setting 149 registered players in 2 clubs (Club X: 2018–2022, Club Y: 2022–2023) of Indonesia First Professional Football League (Liga 1). Intervention and Outcome Measurement Case characteristics (injured body region, injury type, organ system affected, and etiology) were analysed and reported to the coaching staff and management to form an appropriate prevention program. Results A Total of 159 cases were recorded within 5 years with a ratio of 0.91 injury/players (n=137). The online surveillance system with a modified form was implemented in the fifth year to allow faster recording process. This led to an increase in data recorded from an average of 27.75 cases/year to 48 cases in the last year. The majority of cases were acute injuries (76%, n=105) with the thigh being the most injured body part (31%, n=43). Gastrointestinal infections were the most common illness (40%, n=9/22). Several improvements in prevention strategies (nutrition, recovery, and exposure record) were supported by coaching staff and management in response to the data report. Conclusion Digital surveillance systems are feasible and applicable to football clubs. The collected data provide valuable information to serve as a rationale for coaching staff and management in supporting injury and illness prevention programs.