title: Factors associated with return-to-work and health outcomes among survivors of road crashes in Victoria.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the relationships between injury, disability, work role and return-to-work outcomes following admission to hospital as a consequence of injury sustained in a road crash.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective cohort study of patients admitted to an adult trauma centre and two metropolitan teaching hospitals in Victoria, Australia. Participants were interviewed in hospital, 2.5 and eight months post-discharge.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants were 60 employed and healthy adults aged 18 to 59 years admitted to hospital in the period February 2004 to March 2005.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Despite differences in health between the lower extremity fracture and non-fracture groups eight months post-crash the proportions having returned to work was approximately 90%. Of those returning to work, 44% did so in a different role. After adjustment for baseline parameters, lower extremity injuries were associated with a slower rate of return to work (HR: 0.31; 95%CI: 0.16-0.58) as was holding a manual occupation (HR: 0.16; 95%CI: 0.09-0.57). There were marked differences in physical health between and within the injury groups at both follow-up periods.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results demonstrate that both injury type and severity and the nature of ones occupation have a considerable influence on the rate and pattern of return to work following injury. Further, persisting disability has a direct influence on the likelihood of returning to work. The implications of these findings and the types of data required to measure outcome post-injury are discussed.
authors: Accident Research Centre, Monash University, Victoria, Australia. Michael.Fitzharris@muarc.monash.edu.au
authors: Michael
authors: M
authors: Fitzharris
authors: Diana
authors: D
authors: Bowman
authors: Karinne
authors: K
authors: Ludlow
mesh_terms: D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D004651:Employment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life; D062707:Return to Work; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D016019:Survival Analysis; D017741:Survivors / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014193:Trauma Centers; D015599:Trauma Severity Indices; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology*; D055815:Young Adult