Initial patient and clinician expectations of return to work after acute onset of work-related low back pain.
OBJECTIVE
The objective of this study was to compare patient and provider expectations of return to work (RTW) after acute onset of low back pain (LBP).


METHODS
Workers sick-listed after onset of LBP (N = 300) completed a questionnaire about work, injury, and psychosocial disability risk factors and rated their likelihood of full RTW within 4 weeks. Clinicians provided an independent estimate of work absence, and patients were followed for 3 months.


RESULTS
Clinician and patient expectations were weakly correlated, and both were predictive of actual RTW outcomes. Patient expectations were associated with differences in pain, mood, prior back pain, job demands, functional limitation, and marital status. Factors associated with clinician prognosis were similar but with more emphasis on physical examination findings.


CONCLUSIONS
Even before treatment, patients may form a negative expectation for RTW that is associated with a longer duration of work absence.
Kapoor
Sachin
S
Department of Environmental Health, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.
Shaw
William S
WS
Pransky
Glenn
G
Patterson
William
W
D000062:Accidents, Occupational; D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect; D001294:Attitude to Health; D019567:Back Injuries / Q000209:etiology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007389:Internal-External Control; D007587:Job Description; D017116:Low Back Pain / Q000209:etiology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D008297:Male; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D010146:Pain; D010147:Pain Measurement; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018582:Sick Leave; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014940:Work Schedule Tolerance / Q000523:psychology