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Arthrosc Sports Med Rehabil 2022 Jun 20;4(3):e927-e933. Epub 2022 Feb 20.

Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Louisiana State University, Shreveport, Louisiana, U.S.A.

Purpose: To evaluate Workers' Compensation (WC) patients who underwent arthroscopic shoulder surgery for workplace shoulder injuries and to determine whether there was an association between earlier return to light duty and earlier return to full duty.

Methods: After receiving institutional review board approval, we performed a retrospective chart review of all WC patients treated with shoulder arthroscopic surgery by 2 senior authors between 2011 and 2018. The patients were divided into 2 groups: Group 1 went back to light-duty work within the first 100 days after surgery, whereas group 2 performed light-duty work after 100 days or performed no light-duty work. Read More

Int J Spine Surg 2022 Jun 20. Epub 2022 Jun 20.

Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA

Background: Increased morbidity associated with obesity imposes a greater financial burden on companies that provide insurance to their employees. Few studies have investigated the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) for minimally invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (MIS TLIF) in the workers' compensation (WC) population.

Methods: WC patients who underwent a primary, single-level MIS TLIF were included/grouped according to BMI: nonobese (<30 kg/m); obese I (≥30, <35 kg/m); severe + morbid (≥35). Read More

J Burn Care Res 2022 Jun 14. Epub 2022 Jun 14.

UW Medicine Regional Burn Center, Harborview Medical Center, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA.

Disparities in socioeconomic status and minority status impacts the risk of burn injury and the severity of that injury, thus impacting the subsequent cost of care. We aimed to characterize the demographic details surrounding receipt of financial assistance due to burn injury and its relationship with health-related quality of life scores. Participants ≥18 from Burn Model System National Longitudinal Database (BMS) with complete demographic data were included (n=4,330). Read More

Work 2022 Jun 10. Epub 2022 Jun 10.

Department of Applied Health Science, Indiana University School of Public Health -Bloomington, Bloomington, IN, USA.

Background: Certified Hand Therapy is a subset of occupational/physical therapy that is relatively unknown to the common individual. Certified Hand Therapists (CHTs) help those with upper extremity injuries, whether it be those with workplace injuries, those who suffered a traumatic injury or those recovering from major surgery to reach the point where they are able to be independent and back to doing daily life activities.

Objective: This study aimed to discern the roles that Certified Hand Therapists have in rehabilitating individuals with upper extremity injuries, to assess their participation in work-related injury prevention, to examine with whom CHTs interact with during the rehabilitation process, and to gain insight into how the relationships between CHTs and occupational safety professionals can be improved. Read More

J Occup Rehabil 2022 May 23. Epub 2022 May 23.

Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Université Laval, Québec, Canada.

Purpose: This study aims to paint a picture of the factors that influence the process of rehabilitation, return, and stay at work, for aging workers who have suffered an occupational injury.

Methods: Based on a descriptive interpretative research design, the authors conducted interviews with 23 participants (i.e. Read More

Am J Ind Med 2022 Jul 17;65(7):589-603. Epub 2022 May 17.

Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA.

Background: California requires general acute care hospitals to have a comprehensive plan to prevent patient handling injuries (PHIs) among employees. The California safe patient handling (SPH) law took effect in 2012. This study assessed the impact of the SPH law on workers' compensation claims for musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) in California hospital workers. Read More

J Occup Rehabil 2022 Jun 10;32(2):241-251. Epub 2022 May 10.

Transport, Health and Urban Design Research Hub, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.

Introduction The direct comparison of real-world workers' compensation scheme management policies and their impact on aspects of scheme performance such as health and return to work outcomes, financial sustainability, and client experience metrics is made difficult through existing differences in scheme design that go beyond the factors of interest to the researcher or policymaker. Disentangling effects that are due purely to the result of policy and structural differences between schemes or jurisdictions to determine 'what works' can be difficult. Method We present a prototype policy exploration tool, 'WorkSim', built using an agent-based model and designed to enable workers' compensation system managers to directly compare the effect of simulated policies on the performance of workers compensation systems constructed using agreed and transparent principles. Read More

ScientificWorldJournal 2022 25;2022:8205879. Epub 2022 Apr 25.

Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Rehabilitation Research, Vienna, Austria.

Background: Gait analysis systems serve as important tools for assessing disturbed gait patterns. Amongst other factors, functional limitations of the shoulder joint may relate to such disturbances. Patient-reported outcome measures, assessment of pain, and active range of motion are commonly used to describe shoulder impairment. Read More

Int Arch Occup Environ Health 2022 May 2. Epub 2022 May 2.

Department of Orthopaedics, University of Rochester, 601 Elmwood Ave. Box 665, Rochester, NY, 14642, USA.

Purpose: Workplace wellness (WP) programs are an employer strategy to improve employee health and satisfaction. Their impact on productivity and benefit expense remains unclear. This study examines the association of a voluntary WP at an academic health center with both employee metrics and employer costs. Read More

J Arthroplasty 2022 Apr 29. Epub 2022 Apr 29.

Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, East Providence, Rhode Island.

Background: Despite strong evidence supporting the efficacy of total knee arthroplasty (TKA), studies have shown significant socioeconomic disparities regarding who ultimately undergoes TKA. The purpose of the current study is to evaluate socioeconomic factors affecting whether a patient undergoes TKA after a diagnosis of osteoarthritis.

Methods: From 2011 to 2018, claims for adult patients diagnosed with knee osteoarthritis in the New York Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System (SPARCS) database were analyzed. Read More

Front Neurol 2022 31;13:786648. Epub 2022 Mar 31.

Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam, South Korea.

Stroke is one of the leading causes of mortality and disability in Korea. Patients who experience stroke require adequate management throughout the acute to subacute and chronic stages. Many patients with long-term functional issues require rehabilitative management even in the chronic stage. Read More

J Trauma Stress 2022 Apr 16. Epub 2022 Apr 16.

Departments of Plastic Surgery and Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA.

Acts of violence are the fifth leading cause of nonfatal occupational injuries in the United States. Experiencing a traumatic event at work can have serious mental health consequences, including the development of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This study aimed to quantify the prevalence of PTSD caused by workplace violence (WPV) in a statewide workers' compensation system and compare the outcomes and treatment of WPV cases versus those caused by other traumatic events. Read More

Am J Ind Med 2022 06 15;65(6):468-482. Epub 2022 Apr 15.

Department of Health, Society, and Behavior, Program in Public Health, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California, USA.

Background: Many workers seek care for work-related medical conditions in primary care settings. Additionally, occupational medicine training is not consistently addressed in primary care professional training. These patterns raise concerns about the health outcomes of low-wage Latina/o immigrant workers who make use of primary care settings to obtain care for work-related injuries and illnesses. Read More

J Med Internet Res 2022 04 7;24(4):e17180. Epub 2022 Apr 7.

Barwon Health, Geelong, Australia.

Background: Improved understanding of social constructs around injury may help insurance case managers to understand how best to support people after injury.

Objective: This study sought to explore what people who sustain work-related injuries may seek from online communities. The study highlights potential opportunities for improved engagement with insurance case management practice. Read More

BMJ Open 2022 04 4;12(4):e060710. Epub 2022 Apr 4.

Institute of Medical Sociology, Centre for Health and Society, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany.

Objectives: Worldwide, the COVID-19 pandemic triggered the sharpest economic downturn since the Great Recession. To prepare for future crises and to preserve public health, we conduct an overview of systematic reviews to examine the evidence on the effect of the Great Recession on population health.

Methods: We searched PubMed and Scopus for systematic reviews and/or meta-analyses focusing specifically on the impact of the Great Recession on population health (eg, mental health). Read More

Occup Environ Med 2022 Mar 30. Epub 2022 Mar 30.

Occupational Cancer Research Centre, Ontario Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Objective: Firefighters and police often work in high-stress, complex environments with known and suspected carcinogenic exposures. We aimed to characterise cancer incidence among firefighters and police.

Methods: The Occupational Disease Surveillance System (ODSS) was used to identify workers employed as firefighters or police in Ontario. Read More

New Solut 2022 Mar 11:10482911221084382. Epub 2022 Mar 11.

National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, 50115National Health Research Institutes, Miao-Li.

Occupational asbestos exposure was prevalent in Taiwan, but asbestos-related diseases (ARDs) have rarely been recognized. We conducted in-depth face-to-face interviews with 16 patients with ARDs. All of them had worked in industries known for high asbestos exposure. Read More

J Occup Environ Med 2022 04 22;64(4):e249-e256. Epub 2022 Feb 22.

Department of Epidemiology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington (Le), Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington (Fulton-Kehoe, Sears, Franklin), Department of Health Systems and Population Health, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington (Sears), Harborview Injury Prevention and Research Center, Seattle, Washington (Sears), Institute for Work and Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada (Sears), Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington (Nkyekyer), Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington (Ehde), Washington State Department of Labor and Industries, Tumwater, Washington (Young, Franklin), Department of Neurology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington (Franklin).

Objective: To describe telehealth trends within a population-based workers' compensation system during the COVID-19 pandemic, and to assess telehealth utilization by sociodemographic characteristics.

Methods: This cross-sectional study used Washington State workers' compensation claims and medical billing data from January 2019 to October 2020.

Results: Telehealth use averaged 1. Read More

Int J Spine Surg 2022 Feb 17;16(1):176-185. Epub 2022 Feb 17.

Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA

Background: Patients receiving workers' compensation demonstrate a propensity for poorer postoperative outcomes. This study aims to determine rates of minimum clinically important difference (MCID) achievement in patients receiving workers' compensation following transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF).

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed a prospective surgical database from 2015 to 2020 for primary, single-level TLIFs with posterior instrumentation for degenerative spinal pathologies. Read More

Ind Health 2022 Feb 15. Epub 2022 Feb 15.

Department of Environmental Health, Korea National Open University, Republic of Korea.

This study aimed to identify the major industries and jobs with the highest proportion of workers' compensation (WC) claims for COVID-19, characterize COVID-19 WC claims in terms of their demographic properties and disease severity, and identify factors influencing the approval of COVID-19 WC claims as occupational disease. A total of 488 workers who submitted COVID-19-related claims to the Korea Workers' Compensation and Welfare Service (KWCWS) from January 2020 to July 2021 were analyzed. A Fisher's exact test was employed to associate the severity of COVID-19 infection with demographic properties. Read More

J Occup Rehabil 2022 Jun 9;32(2):215-224. Epub 2022 Feb 9.

Partnership for Work, Health and Safety, School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, 2206 East Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T1Z3, Canada.

Introduction Differences in disability duration after work injury have been observed across jurisdictions, regions and urban and rural settings. A key aspect of effective disability management is the access and utilization of appropriate and high quality health care. This paper presents a framework for analyzing and thus understanding how health service spending and utilization vary across and within work disability management schemes and affect work disability management. Read More

Am J Ind Med 2022 03 29;65(3):203-213. Epub 2022 Jan 29.

Health Care division, RAND Corporation, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.

Background: Given workplace risks from COVID-19, California policymakers passed Senate Bill (SB) 1159 to facilitate access to workers' compensation (WC) benefits for frontline workers. However there has been no review of the available evidence needed to inform policy decisions about COVID-19 and WC.

Methods: We conducted a literature review on worker and employer experiences surrounding COVID-19 and WC, adhering to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Read More

Pacing Clin Electrophysiol 2022 Mar 11;45(3):410-417. Epub 2022 Feb 11.

Department of Cardiovascular, Endocrine-Metabolic diseases and Ageing, Italian National Institute of Health, Rome, Italy.

Background: Pacemaker (PM) and implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICD) are equipped with a magnetic sensor activated by external application of magnets to easily manage some functions of these devices. If activated inadvertently or outside a controlled environment and without the supervision of clinical personnel, this magnetic mode introduces a potential risk. In reality, the possibility of a static magnetic field affecting a PM or ICD is remote. Read More

Int J Ind Ergon 2022 Mar 13;88:103260. Epub 2022 Jan 13.

Northwell Health, Lake Success, NY, USA.

Introduction: In April 2020, novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) produced an ongoing mass fatality event in New York. This overwhelmed hospital morgues necessitating emergent expansion of capacity in the form of refrigerated trucks, trailers, and shipping containers referred to as body collection points (BCPs). The risks for musculoskeletal injury during routine and mass fatality mortuary operations and experiences of decedent handlers throughout the "first wave" of COVID-19 are presented along with mitigation strategies. Read More

Neurosurgery 2021 Dec 28. Epub 2021 Dec 28.

Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois, USA.

Background: Research has suggested that workers' compensation (WC) status can result in poor outcomes after anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF).

Objective: To determine the influence WC status has on postoperative clinical outcomes after ACDF.

Methods: A surgical database was reviewed for patients undergoing primary or revision single-level ACDF. Read More

Int Arch Occup Environ Health 2022 05 9;95(4):825-833. Epub 2022 Jan 9.

School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.

Purpose: The large burden of silicosis and tuberculosis (TB) in the South African mining industry, coupled with an under-resourcing of the compensation agencies responsible for certifying occupational lung disease, have resulted in serious backlogs. This work aimed to measure the efficiency gains from triaging occupational lung disease claims using claim type, years of mining exposure and computer aided detection (CAD) to save on scarce medical adjudicators.

Methods: During 2020, the compensation authority started to triage claims for TB and those of miners with < 10 years of service to two-person panels instead of the four-person panel plus radiologist used previously. Read More

Int J Environ Res Public Health 2021 11 10;18(22). Epub 2021 Nov 10.

School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada.

This study aimed to investigate differences in work disability duration among immigrants (categorized as economic, family member or refugee/other classification upon arrival to Canada) compared to Canadian-born workers with a work-related injury in British Columbia. Immigrants and Canadian-born workers were identified from linked immigration records with workers' compensation claims for work-related back strain, connective tissue, concussion and fracture injuries requiring at least one paid day of work disability benefits between 2009 to 2015. Quantile regression investigated the relationship between immigration classification and predicted work disability days (defined from injury date to end of compensation claim, up to 365 days) and modeled at the 25th, 50th and 75th percentile of the distribution of the disability days. Read More

ANZ J Surg 2022 03 25;92(3):481-486. Epub 2021 Nov 25.

Clinical Services, WorkSafe Victoria, Geelong, Victoria, Australia.

Background: Lumbar spinal fusion (LSF) outcomes for workers' compensation patients are worse than for the general population. The objectives were to examine the long-term work capacity, opioid prescription and mental health outcomes of injured workers who have undergone LSF surgery in Victoria, Australia, and to identify demographic and pre- and post-operative characteristics associated with these outcomes.

Methods: Retrospective study of 874 injured workers receiving elective LSF from 2008 to 2016 in the Victorian workers' compensation system. Read More

Epidemiol Prev 2021 ;45(6):513-521

Italian National Institute for Insurance against Accidents at Work (Inail), Rome (Italy).

Objectives: to evaluate the patterns of occupational COVID-19 cases, based on compensation claims applied to the Italian National Institute for Insurance against Accidents at Work (Inail).

Design: descriptive analyses of daily time series of compensation claims applications, geographical distributions, and occupations involved. Multivariate analyses have been performed for identifying significant epidemiological pattern. Read More

J Arthroplasty 2022 02 5;37(2):213-218.e1. Epub 2021 Nov 5.

Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI.

Background: There is increasing focus on highlighting disparities in both access to and equity of care in orthopedics and understanding the impact disparities have on patient health. The purpose of the present study is to evaluate socioeconomic-related factors affecting whether a patient undergoes total hip arthroplasty (THA) after a diagnosis of osteoarthritis.

Methods: From 2011 to 2018, patients ≥40 years of age diagnosed with hip osteoarthritis were identified in the New York Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System, a comprehensive all-payer database collecting preadjudicated claims in New York State. Read More