Abstract
Objective
To determine time of return to work (TRTW) in relation to multivariable predictors
among male manual workers after hand injury (HI) over a 12-month follow-up.
Design
A cohort study with baseline medical information, functional evaluation, and 3-, 6-,
9-, and 12-month follow-up telephone interviews.
Setting
Seven physical rehabilitation community occupational therapy clinics.
Participants
Participants (N=178) with acute HI aged 22-65. Two participants were lost to follow-up.
Intervention
Not applicable.
Main Outcome Measure
The dependent variable was TRTW. The independent variables originated from 4 domains:
personal factors, environmental factors, body function and structure, and activity
limitation and participation restriction. The proportion of return to work (RTW) at
each time point was calculated. Multiple Cox regressions established a predictive
model for TRTW.
Results
At the end of the study, 75.3% participants returned to work. The median TRTW was
94 days. In the final model, only compensation factors and education contributed significantly
to overall RTW, but when separate analyses were performed, decreased level of self-efficacy,
higher workplace demands, level of pain, level of emotional response to trauma, reduced
physical capability of the hand, and higher level of disability were significantly
associated with delayed TRTW.
Conclusions
TRTW was determined by the physical capability of the hand, pain, and psychosocial
factors, but it was also affected by legal factors. Participants who did not return
to work during the first 9 months are at risk for long-term disability. Developing
treatment programs for those who are at risk for not returning to work, taking into
consideration these factors, is recommended.
Keywords
List of abbreviations:
95% CI (95% confidence interval), HI (hand injury), ICF (International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health), NII (National Insurance Institute of Israel), RTW (return to work), TRTW (time of return to work)To read this article in full you will need to make a payment
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: August 18, 2018
Footnotes
Supported by a grant from the National Insurance Institute of Israel (grant no. 12379).
Disclosures: none.
Identification
Copyright
© 2018 by the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine
