Work-related recovery expectations and the prognosis of chronic low back pain within a workers' compensation setting.
OBJECTIVE
We examined the association between work-related recovery expectations and return-to-work in patients with chronic back pain.


METHODS
A prospective cohort of workers receiving time-loss benefits for back pain of at least 6 weeks' duration was studied. Workers completed a battery of measures, including a work-related recovery expectations questionnaire. Outcomes included surrogate indicators of timely return-to-work (days until suspension of time-loss benefits) and recovery (claim closure) censored at 1 year. Analysis included multivariable Cox and logistic regression.


RESULTS
The sample was predominantly male (63%), with a mean age of 42 years. Positive work-related recovery expectations predicted a 26% faster suspension of time-loss benefits (95% confidence interval = 8-40%) and explained 7% of the variation in this outcome.


CONCLUSIONS
Recovery expectations provide important information for predicting time to return-to-work, as measured through suspension of time-loss benefits (R approximately 7%) in patients with chronic back pain.
Gross
Douglas P
DP
Department of Physical Therapy, University of Alberta, Workers' Compensation Board Alberta/Millard Health, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. dgross@ualberta.ca
Battié
Michele C
MC
D000328:Adult; D000416:Alberta; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004651:Employment; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017116:Low Back Pain / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D008297:Male; D010147:Pain Measurement; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors; D014942:Workers' Compensation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*