The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA

Abstract #44337

Sakeena Abedin, BA, MA, MS¹, Deborah Grayson, RN, MSN, MPH¹, Paula Bohr, PhD², Laurie Wolf, MS, CPE³, Ann Marie Dale, OTR/L, CEA¹, and Bradley Evanoff, MD, MPH¹. (1) Division of General Medical Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, Campus box 8005, 660 South Euclid Ave, St. Louis, MO 63110, 314-454-8638, abedins@msnotes.wustl.edu, (2) Maryville University, 13550 Conway Road, St. Louis, MO 63141, (3) Ergonomics, BJC Corporate Health Services, 5000 Manchester Ave., St. Louis, MO 63110

AIMS: Existing national data may underreport the true burden of occupational injuries and illnesses. We sought to provide more complete reporting and to assess residual disability that persisted following return to work. METHODS: Workers were recruited from three major employers: an airline, a hospital and a university. Workers with a musculoskeletal injury resulting in 5 or more days of lost time or restricted duty received baseline and six-month telephone interviews to assess health related quality of life and functional limitations, including the SF12 and subscales from the SF36. Data on work loss and restricted duty were obtained from OSHA 200 logs and medical records. RESULTS: Baseline and follow-up interviews were completed by 205 subjects. By six months 83% of this cohort had returned to work at full duty. However, 20% of those at full duty at six months felt that they were disabled as a result of their injury. Scores on the SF12 and SF36 improved over six months, but bodily pain and physical functioning scores remained lower than expected based on national averages. Reinjury rate was also high, with 16% of workers incurring a reinjury within the year following initial injury. The number of lost work days calculated from medical records was significantly greater than that reported in the OSHA 200 log. CONCLUSIONS: These data demonstrate that the true duration and extent of work disability are underrepresented by national statistics. Workers with positive work status outcomes report substantial residual disability six months following injury.

Learning Objectives:

• To describe under-reporting of occupational injuries
• To explain assessment of injury outcomes using functional status and health-related quality of life measures
• To describe re-injury as an important outcome following work injury
• To describe limitations of traditional measures of work injury outcomes

Keywords: Occupational Injury and Death, Outcome Measures

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.