The Work Rehabilitation Impact Quotient: a tool to assess the effectiveness of early rehabilitation of injured workers.
The Work Rehabilitation Impact Quotient (WRIQ) compares the percentage of long term claimants in a classification group with the percentage of long term claimants overall in the scheme, a value greater than one indicating that more people than expected remain on compensation. We studied the Accident Rehabilitation and Compensation Insurance Corporation of New Zealand (ACC) claims from 1988 to 1994 and data from the 1986 and 1991 census. High WRIQs were found in workers over the age of 50, people injured in motor vehicle crashes, those with head and multiple location injuries, and those with amputations, dislocations, injuries to internal organs, and OOS (Overuse syndromes). Analysis by occupation and industry identified certain groups with high and very high WRIQs. The WRIQ value was not related to the rate of injury or to job availability, but was related to mean claim cost. Thirty six percent of claim costs paid in 1994 were in groups with high or very high WRIQs. Reduction of the WRIQ in these groups to low levels would produce savings of over $100 million in 1994 dollars.
Caradoc-Davies
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Department of Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
Hawker
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D000062:Accidents, Occupational / Q000191:economics*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003363:Cost Control; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007221:Industry; D007345:Insurance Claim Review; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009520:New Zealand; D009790:Occupations; D014942:Workers' Compensation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000191:economics* / Q000534:rehabilitation