Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

The Association of Social Functioning, Social Relationships and the Receipt of Compensation with Time to Return to Work Following Unintentional Injuries to Victorian Workers

  • Published:
Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose Understanding individual factors associated with return to work (RTW) post-injury is an important goal of compensation systems research. The aim of the present study was to determine factors associated with time to return to work following acute unintentional injuries. Methods A prospective cohort study was conducted in Victoria, Australia. The cohort comprised 133 persons who were employed at the time they were admitted to one of three study hospitals. Baseline health status data was obtained retrospectively at one-week post-injury and participants were further surveyed at 1, 6, 12, 26 and 52 weeks post-injury to measure recovery. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was used to examine the association between potential prognostic factors and time to RTW during the 12 month study. Results At the end of 12 months follow-up, 81.2% of the study cohort had returned to work. Older age, increased injury severity, self reported symptomatic pain and poor mental health at 1 week post-injury were associated with extended time to RTW. A significant statistical interaction between the receipt of compensation and high social functioning as measured by the SF-36 or strong social relationships as measured by the Assessment of Quality of Life was associated with earlier RTW. Participants reporting strong social relationships and high social functioning at 1 week post-injury and entitled to injury compensation returned to work 2.05 and 3.66 times earlier respectively, than similar participants with no entitlement to compensation. Conclusions Both injury-related and psychosocial factors were associated with the duration of time to RTW following acute unintentional injuries. This study replicated previously reported findings on social functioning and compensation from an independent acute trauma sample. Programs or policies to improve social functioning early post-injury may provide opportunities to improve the duration of time to RTW following injury.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Urquhart DM, Williamson OD, Gabbe BJ, Cicuttini FM, Cameron PA, Richardson MD. Outcomes of patients with orthopaedic trauma admitted to level 1 trauma centres. ANZ J Surg. 2006;76:600–6.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Access Economics. The economic costs of spinal cord injury and traumatic brain injury in Australia; Transport Accident Commission, 2009.

  3. Williamson OD, Gabbe BJ, Cameron PA, Edwards ER, Richardson MD. Predictors of moderate or severe pain 6 months after orthopaedic injury: a prospective cohort study. J Orthop Trauma. 2009;23:139–44.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Fitzharris M, Bowman D, Ludlow K. Factors associated with return-to-work and health outcomes among survivors of road crashes in Victoria. Aust NZ J Public Health. 2009;34:153–60.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Ebel BE, Mack C, Diehr P, Rivara FP. Lost working days, productivity, and restraint use among occupants of motor vehicles that crashed in the United States. Inj Prev. 2004;10:314–9.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Clay FJ, Newstead SV, Watson WL, Ozanne-Smith J, McClure RJ. Bio-psychosocial determinants of time lost from work following non life threatening acute orthopaedic trauma. BMC Musculoskelet Disord. 2010;11:6.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Oleinick A, Gluck JV, Guire K. Factors affecting first return to work following a compensable occupational back injury. Am J Ind Med. 1996;30:540–55.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Gabbe BJ, Cameron PA, Williamson OD, Edwards ER, Graves SE, Richardson MD. The relationship between compensable status and long-term patient outcomes following orthopaedic trauma. Med J Aust. 2007;187:14–7.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Dunstan DA, Covic T. Compensable work disability management: a literature review of biopsychosocial perspectives. Aust Occup Ther. 2006;53:67–77.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Evans T. Work: a self affirming experience. New Paradigm. 2002.

  11. Strazdins L, D’Souza RM, Lim LL, Broom DH, Rodgers B. Job strain, job insecurity, and health: rethinking the relationship. J Occup Health Psychol. 2004;9:296–305.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Harrison K, Allen S. Features of occupational rehabilitation systems in Australia: a map through the maze. Work. 2003;21:141–52.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Clay FJ, Newstead SV, McClure RJ. A systematic review of early prognostic factors for return to work following acute orthopaedic trauma. Injury. 2010;41:787–803.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Hou W-H, Tsauo J-Y, Lin C-H, Liang H-W, Du C-L. Worker’s compensation and return-to-work following orthopaedic injury to extremities. J Rehabil Med. 2008;40:440–5.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Soberg HL, Finset A, Bautz-Holter E, Sandvik L, Roise O. Return to work after severe multiple injuries: a multidimensional approach on status 1 and 2 years postinjury. J Trauma. 2007;62:471–81.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. MacKenzie EJ, Bosse MJ, Kellam JF, Pollak AN, Webb LX, Swiontkowski MF, et al. Early predictors of long-term work disability after major limb trauma. J Trauma. 2006;61:688–94.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Watson WL. Of life and limb: measuring the burden of nonfatal injury. PhD Thesis, Monash University, 2005.

  18. Watson WL, Ozanne-Smith J, Richardson J. Retrospective baseline measurement of self-reported health status and health-related quality of life versus population norms in the evaluation of post-injury losses. Inj Prev. 2007;13:45–50.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Department Human Services: The Victorian Admitted Episode Database: An Overview, vol. 14. Melbourne: Acute Health Division, Department of Human Services, 2004.

  20. Osler T, Baker SP, Long W. A modification of the injury severity score that both improves accuracy and simplifies scoring. J Trauma. 1997;43:922–5.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Brenneman FD, Boulanger BR, McLellan BA, Redelmeier DA. Measuring injury severity: time for a change? J Trauma. 1998;44:580–2.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Ware Jr J, Snow K, Kosinski M, Gandek B. SF-36 health survey: manual and interpretation guide. Boston: The Health Institute, New England Medical Center; 1993.

  23. Ware JE Jr. SF-36 health survey update. Spine. 2000;25:3130–9.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Kopjar B. The SF-36 health survey: a valid measure of changes in health status after injury. Inj Prev. 1996;2:135–9.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Bowling A. Measuring health: a review of quality of life measurement scales. Buckingham: Open University Press; 1997.

    Google Scholar 

  26. Hawthorne G, Richardson J, Osborne R. The Assessment of Quality of Life (AQoL) instrument: a psychometric measure of health-related quality of life. Qual Life Res. 1999;8:209–24.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Wlodarczyk JH, Brodaty H, Hawthorne G. The relationship between quality of life, mini-mental state examination, and the instrumental activities of daily living in patients with Alzheimer’s disease. Arch Gerontol Geriatr. 2004;39:25–33.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. Hawthorne G, Richardson J, Day NA. A comparison of the Assessment of Quality of Life (AQoL) with four other generic utility instruments. Ann of Med. 2001;33:358–70.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Hebert JS, Ashworth NL. Predictors of return to work following traumatic work-related lower extremity amputation. Disabil Rehabil. 2006;28:613–8.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  30. Buitenhuis J, de Jong PJ, Jaspers JPC, Groothoff JW. Work disability after whiplash: a prospective cohort study. Spine. 2009;34:262–7.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  31. Desbiens NA, Wu AW, Alzola C, Mueller-Rizner N, Wenger NS, Connors AF Jr, et al. Pain during hospitalization is associated with continued pain six months later in survivors of serious illness. Am J Ind Med. 1997;102:269–76.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. Castillo RC, MacKenzie EJ, Wegener ST, Bosse MJ. Prevalence of chronic pain seven years following limb threatening lower extremity trauma. Pain. 2006;124:321–9.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  33. Du CL, Lai CF, Wang JD. Delayed return-to-work in workers after non-severe occupational upper extremity fracture in Taiwan. J Formos Med Assoc. 2007;106:887–93.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  34. Seland K, Cherry N, Beach J. A study of factors influencing return to work after wrist or ankle fractures. Am J Ind Med. 2006;49:197–203.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  35. Wong JYP. Time off work in hand injury patients. J Hand Surg. 2008;33:718–25.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  36. Temkin NR, Corrigan JD, Dikmen SS, Machamer J. Social functioning after traumatic brain injury. J Head Trauma Rehabil. 2009;24:460–7.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  37. Lucke KT, Coccia H, Goode JS, Lucke JF. Quality of life in spinal cord injured individuals and their caregivers during the initial 6 months following rehabilitation. Qual Life Res. 2004;13:97–110.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  38. Lund ML, Nordlund A, Bernspang B, Lexell J. Perceived participation and problems in participation are determinants of life satisfaction in people with spinal cord injury. Disabil Rehabil. 2007;29:1417–22.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  39. Corry N, Pruzinsky T, Rumsey N. Quality of life and psychosocial adjustment to burn injury: social functioning, body image, and health policy perspectives. Int Rev Psychiatry. 2009;2:539–48.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  40. Brouwer S, Reneman MF, Bültmann U, van der Klink JJ, Groothoff JW. A prospective study of return to work across health conditions: perceived work attitude, self-efficacy and perceived social support. J Occup Rehabil. 2010;20:104–12.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  41. Lysaght RM, Larmour-Trode S. An exploration of social support as a factor in the return-to-work process. Work. 2008;30:255–66.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  42. Watson WL, Ozanne-Smith J, Richardson J. An evaluation of the AQoL utility instrument as a measure of the impact of injury on health-related quality of life. Int J Inj Contr Saf Promot. 2005;12:227–39.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  43. Struchen MA, Davis LC, Bogaards JA, Hudler-Hull T, Clark AN, Mazzei DM. Making connections after brain injury: development and evaluation of a social peer-mentoring program for persons with traumatic brain injury. J Head Trauma Rehabil. 2011;26:4–19.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The authors wish to acknowledge the statistical advice provided by Dr Janneke Berecki-Gisolf. The authors wish to thank the study hospitals for facilitating the opportunity to recruit patients and gratefully acknowledge the study participants. The Monash University Accident Research Centre Postgraduate Students Fund provided funding for the data collection phase of this study. The funding body played no role in the design, conduct, analysis or interpretation of the data or in the writing of this article. WW was the recipient of a Monash University Accident Research Foundation John Lane PhD Scholarship at the time of the data collection. All authors currently receive funding from a grant by WorkSafe Victoria and Transport Accident Commission. All authors are independent from their funders.

Conflict of Interest

All authors of this manuscript declare no competing interests.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Monash Injury Research Institute, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia

    Fiona J. Clay, Michael Fitzharris, Emily Kerr & Roderick J. McClure

  2. Institute for Safety Compensation and Recovery Research, Monash University, Level 11, 499 St Kilda Rd, Melbourne, VIC, 3004, Australia

    Fiona J. Clay

  3. Transport and Road Safety (TARS) Research, Department of Aviation, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia

    Wendy L. Watson

Authors
  1. Fiona J. Clay
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Michael Fitzharris
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Emily Kerr
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Roderick J. McClure
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Wendy L. Watson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Fiona J. Clay.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Clay, F.J., Fitzharris, M., Kerr, E. et al. The Association of Social Functioning, Social Relationships and the Receipt of Compensation with Time to Return to Work Following Unintentional Injuries to Victorian Workers. J Occup Rehabil 22, 363–375 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10926-012-9354-4

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10926-012-9354-4

Keywords

Search

Navigation