Doctor proactive communication, return-to-work recommendation, and duration of disability after a workers' compensation low back injury.
Although doctors are increasingly evaluated on the basis of return-to-work (RTW) outcomes, the effect of doctor-patient communication about the workplace and RTW after an occupational injury has received little research attention. The effect of patient-reported doctor communication on duration of disability was examined retrospectively in a 3-year cohort of 325 claimants with a lost-time low back injury. Although doctor proactive communication was associated with a greater likelihood of RTW during the acute phase (< 30 days of disability), this effect disappeared when injury and workload characteristics were taken into account. A positive RTW recommendation was associated with about a 60% higher RTW rate during the subacute/chronic phase (> 30 days of disability) only. Prospective studies are needed to confirm this effect. The impact of physician communication on RTW is largely confounded by injury and workplace factors.
Dasinger
L K
LK
Public Health Institute, Berkeley, Calif., USA.
Krause
N
N
Thompson
P J
PJ
Brand
R J
RJ
Rudolph
L
L
D000328:Adult; D019567:Back Injuries / Q000191:economics / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D015986:Confounding Factors, Epidemiologic; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000191:economics / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012307:Risk Factors; D013997:Time Factors; D014481:United States; D014938:Work Capacity Evaluation; D014942:Workers' Compensation