Services provided following compensable work-related tetraplegia.
METHODS
Descriptive study.


OBJECTIVE
To describe and compare the medical services provided following work-related tetraplegic spinal cord injury (SCI).


METHODS
Workers' compensation claims database.


METHODS
The administrative database of a workers' compensation provider was searched for work-related tetraplegia claims with dates of injury between 1 January 1989 and 31 December 1999. In total, 62 cases were identified and grouped by impairment category. Medical payment data were extracted and assigned to service categories.


RESULTS
Although the level of services was directly related to the severity of impairment, patterns were similar across categories; for example, the largest proportions of payments were associated with durable medical equipment (DME) and attendant care in each impairment category. DME, readmissions and attendant care services varied considerably from year to year and within impairment category. Payments for physician care and medications/supplies showed the least variation within impairment categories. Workers' compensation payments were similar to National Spinal Cord Injury Database (NSCID) payments for the first year following injury; however, in subsequent years, workers' compensation figures were much higher.


CONCLUSIONS
Differences in annual medical payment and services by impairment category appear to be primarily due to variations in DME, attendant care and readmission. Payment differences in relation to National SCI figures may be related to better capture of payments by the workers' compensation administrative database. In addition, results suggest broader coverage by workers' compensation for medical services and items related to independent living.
Young
A E
AE
Liberty Mutual Center for Disability Research, Liberty Mutual Research Institute for Safety, Hopkinton, MA USA.
Webster
B
B
Giunti
G
G
Pransky
G
G
Nesathurai
S
S
D000062:Accidents, Occupational; D019090:Case Management / Q000592:standards* / Q000639:trends; D003266:Continuity of Patient Care / Q000191:economics / Q000592:standards; D005260:Female; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000592:standards* / Q000639:trends; D006801:Humans; D015601:Injury Severity Score; D008297:Male; D011782:Quadriplegia / Q000191:economics* / Q000628:therapy; D011787:Quality of Health Care; D012042:Registries; D012494:Sampling Studies; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000191:economics* / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D014481:United States; D014942:Workers' Compensation / Q000191:economics*