title: What is the rate of functional improvement during occupational rehabilitation in workers' compensation claimants?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We examined the rate of functional change (using performance measures and a self-report questionnaire) during interdisciplinary occupational rehabilitation in workers' compensation claimants with a variety of musculoskeletal conditions. We also estimated the rate of improvement that could be considered clinically important and examined factors associated with rate of functional improvement.
  
  
  METHODS
  A prospective cohort design was used, with data collected before and after claimants participated in an interdisciplinary occupational rehabilitation program. A consecutive sample was formed of claimants admitted between July 2005 and June 2007. Measures included performance-based functional measures (functional capacity evaluation, FCE) and a self-report questionnaire (pain disability index, PDI).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The sample included 582 compensation claimants with a variety of musculoskeletal conditions. The majority of claimants experienced functional improvement during rehabilitation. Claimants with the outcome status 'Return-to-Work Pre-accident' had the highest rate of functional change (up to 5 kg/week on floor to waist lifting, ~7 points/week on the PDI).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The clinically important rate of functional change appears to be 5 kg/week on FCE floor-to-waist lifting and 7 points/week on the PDI (scored out of 100). Rate of functional change appears to be multifactorial, with a variety of physical, demographic, clinical, and environmental factors explaining rate of change.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Alberta, 2-50 Corbett Hall, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2G4, Canada. dgross@ualberta.ca
authors.forename: Douglas P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Gross
authors.forename: Calvin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Haws
authors.forename: Riikka
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Niemeläinen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000416:Alberta; D006233:Persons with Disabilities / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009140:Musculoskeletal Diseases / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D009788:Occupational Therapy; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D010147:Pain Measurement; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011597:Psychomotor Performance; D020127:Recovery of Function; D012050:Rehabilitation, Vocational / Q000379:methods*; D057566:Self Report; D018582:Sick Leave; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014938:Work Capacity Evaluation; D014942:Workers' Compensation