Appraisal of Washington State workers' compensation-based return-to-work programs and suggested system improvements: A survey of workers with permanent impairments

Wellbeing After Finalization of a Workers' Compensation Claim: A Systematic Scoping Review

OBJECTIVE

A workers' compensation claim may have significant negative impacts on an injured worker's wellbeing. Wellbeing provides a good global measure of potential effects of a claim on an individual, and is important for contemporary economic modelling. The purpose of this study was to synthesize knowledge about the wellbeing of injured workers after the finalization of a workers' compensation claim and identify gaps in the current literature.

METHODS

A systematic scoping review was conducted.

RESULTS

71 full-text articles were screened for inclusion, with 32 articles eligible for this review. None of the included articles evaluated overall wellbeing. Included articles did evaluate a variety of constructs inherent in wellbeing. Injured workers were generally disadvantaged in some manner following claim finalization. The literature recommends a focus on reducing negative impacts on injured workers after finalization of a compensation claim, with a need for regulatory bodies to review policy in this area.

CONCLUSION

There appears to be potential for ongoing burden for individuals, employers, and society after finalization of a workers' compensation claim. A gap in knowledge exists regarding the specific evaluation of wellbeing of injured workers following finalization of a workers' compensation claim.

Do Outcomes Differ After Proximal Hamstring Repair for Patients Receiving Workers' Compensation?

Background

Patients with workers' compensation (WC) insurance claims are often shown to experience inferior patient-reported outcomes (PROs) after an orthopaedic surgical intervention compared with patients without WC claims.

Purpose

To compare the postoperative PROs of patients with WC claims (WC patients) versus those without WC claims (non-WC patients) after proximal hamstring repair (PHR).

Study Design

Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3.

Methods

WC patients who underwent PHR between November 2011 and to September 2020 were propensity score matched at a 1:2 ratio to non-WC patients according to age, sex, and body mass index. Comorbidity data were collected as well as minimum 1-year postoperative PRO scores for the Lower Extremity Functional Scale (LEFS), the Hip Outcome Score (HOS), and the 12-Item Short From Health Survey (SF-12) Physical Component Summary (PCS) and Mental Component Summary (MCS). The type of work was characterized according to national WC insurance guidelines as light (maximum 20 lbs [9.1 kg]), medium (maximum 50 lbs [22.7 kg]), or heavy (≥50 lbs) [>/=22.7 kg].

Results

A total of 30 patients (10 WC and 20 non-WC) were included. The work type and baseline demographic characteristics of patients did not differ between groups. There were no significant between-group differences in postoperative PRO scores as measured by the LEFS (P = .488), HOS (P = .233), or SF-12 PCS (P = .521). However, the WC cohort showed inferior SF-12 MCS scores compared with the non-WC group (49.28 ± 9.97 vs 54.26 ± 9.69, respectively; P = .032). The WC status was also associated with an increased time needed for patients to return to full-duty work capacity (21 ± 9 vs 9 ± 8 weeks; P = .005).

Conclusion

Our findings suggest that WC and non-WC patients who undergo PHR have comparable outcomes. Differences in SF-12 MCS scores and return to work time for full-duty capacity warrant further investigation.