title: Workplace injury data reported by occupational physicians and general practitioners.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Accurate workplace injury data are useful in the prioritization of prevention strategies. In the UK, physicians report workplace ill-health data within The Health and Occupation Research (THOR) network, including injury case reports.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To compare workplace injury data reported by occupational physicians (OPs) and general practitioners (GPs) to THOR.
  
  
  METHODS
  Injury cases reported by OPs and GPs, reported to THOR between 2006 and 2012 were analysed. Demographics, industrial groups, nature of injury, kind of accident and site of injury were compared. Data on sickness absence for workplace injuries reported by GPs were investigated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In total, 2017 workplace injury cases were reported by OPs and GPs. Males were more likely to sustain a workplace accident than females. Sprains and strains were reported most often, with the upper limbs being affected most frequently. Slips, trips and falls were identified as important causal factors by both OPs and GPs. Psychological injuries also featured in THOR reporting, with a higher proportion reported by OPs (21%) than by GPs (3%). The proportion of people classified as 'unfit' by GPs reduced following the introduction of the 'fit' note.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  THOR reports returned by OPs and GPs provide a valuable source of information of workplace injury data, and complement other sources of information, such as the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations and the Labour Force Survey.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Occupational and Environmental Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Jabbour
authors.affiliation: Centre for Occupational and Environmental Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Turner
authors.affiliation: Centre for Occupational and Environmental Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK. louise.hussey@manchester.ac.uk.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hussey
authors.affiliation: Centre for Occupational and Environmental Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Page
authors.affiliation: Centre for Occupational and Environmental Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Agius
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D058005:General Practitioners / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D007221:Industry / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D009787:Occupational Medicine / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards*; D012107:Research Design / Q000592:standards* / Q000639:trends; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D017132:Workplace / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014947:Wounds and Injuries
keywords: General practitioner; OPRA; THOR; THOR-GP; occupational physician; workplace injury.