Citation

Larson MC, Renier CM, Konowalchuk BK. J. Occup. Environ. Med. 2011; 53(10): 1199-1204.

Affiliation

Occupational Medicine (Mr Larson and Dr Konowalchuk), SMDC Medical Center, Duluth Clinic, Duluth; EMPI (Mr Larson), St Paul; and Research Division (Ms Renier), Essentia Institute of Rural Health, Duluth, Minn.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2011, Lippincott Williams and Wilkins)

DOI

10.1097/JOM.0b013e31822cfab3

PMID

21915072

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:: To determine if an internal employee health program (IEHP), including transitional work, with early access to physical medicine and rehabilitation provided by athletic trainers, will reduce missed workdays following work-related injury. METHODS:: A retrospective review of health system workers' compensation data were conducted for injuries sustained 23-month period preceding (PP) (N = 713) and following IEHP implementation (N = 661). RESULTS:: Sixty-two PP and 128 IEHP events resulted in lost workdays (LWDs), P < 0.001. For LWDs events, mean days lost decreased from 100.3 ± 119.7 PP to 44.6 ± 69.0 IEHP, P = 0.001, with 2.2 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.1-4.2) IEHP 3-week odds of returning to work. CONCLUSIONS:: Internal employee health program reduced LWDs. Internal employee health program was associated with more than 10% increase in LWDs events, but LWDs event mean days lost decreased by more than 50%, with 3-week odds of returning to work more than 2.0.

Language: en