title: Association between perception of fault for the crash and function, return to work and health status 1 year after road traffic injury: a registry-based cohort study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To establish the association between the patient's perception of fault for the crash and 12-month outcomes after non-fatal road traffic injury.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two adult major trauma centres, one regional trauma centre and one metropolitan trauma centre in Victoria, Australia.
  
  
  METHODS
  2605 adult, orthopaedic trauma patients covered by the state's no-fault third party insurer for road traffic injury, injured between September 2010 and February 2014.
  
  
  METHODS
  EQ-5D-3L, return to work and functional recovery (Glasgow Outcome Scale-Extended score of upper good recovery) at 12 months postinjury.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After adjusting for key confounders, the adjusted relative risk (ARR) of a functional recovery (0.57, 95% CI 0.46 to 0.69) and return to work (0.92, 95% CI 0.86 to 0.99) were lower for the not at fault compared to the at fault group. The ARR of reporting problems on EQ-5D items was 1.20-1.35 times higher in the not at fault group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients who were not at fault, or denied being at fault despite a police report of fault, experienced poorer outcomes than the at fault group. Attributing fault to others was associated with poorer outcomes. Interventions to improve coping, or to resolve negative feelings from the crash, could facilitate better outcomes in the future.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia Farr Institute, Swansea University Medical School, Swansea, Wales, UK.
authors.forename: Belinda J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Gabbe
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Pamela M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Simpson
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia Emergency and Trauma Centre, The Alfred, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Peter A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Cameron
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Christina L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Ekegren
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, The Alfred, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Elton R
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Edwards
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics, University Hospital Geelong, Geelong, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Page
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, The Alfred, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia Department of Surgery, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Liew
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics, Royal Melbourne Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia Department of Surgery, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bucknill
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia Epworth Healthcare, Richmond, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: de Steiger
mesh_terms: D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000523:psychology*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020127:Recovery of Function; D012042:Registries; D062707:Return to Work / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014739:Victoria; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: EPIDEMIOLOGY; PUBLIC HEALTH