title: Multi-disciplinary Orthopaedics Rehabilitation Empowerment (MORE) program: A new standard of care for injured workers in Hong Kong.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The objective of this study is to evaluate the effects of the Multi-disciplinary Orthopaedics Rehabilitation Empowerment (MORE) Program on reducing chronic disability among injured workers and improving efficiency of work rehabilitation process.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cohort of patients with workplace injuries in the lower back were recruited from orthopaedics clinics and assigned to either MORE group (n= 139) or control group (n= 106). Patients in MORE group received an early MRI screening and a coordinated multi-disciplinary management, while patients in the control group received conventional care. Outcome variables are time to return-to-work (RTW) from date of injury, waiting time for MRI screening and time to medical assessment board (MAB).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients in the MORE Program had significantly shorter duration for RTW (MORE: 6.1 months,
  
  
  METHODS
  12.8 months, p< 0.01), and more RTW cases (n= 64, 46.0%) compared to CONTROL group (n= 29, 27.4%). The MORE group also had much shorter waiting time for MRI scans (91.85 vs. 309.2 days, p< 0.001) and MAB referral after MRI scans (97.2 vs. 178.9 days, p= 0.001) compared to CONTROL group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The MORE Program which emphasizes early intervention and early MRI screening, is shown to be effective in shortening sick leave and improving RTW outcomes of injured workers.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
authors.forename: S W
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Law
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China.
authors.forename: G P Y
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Szeto
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
authors.forename: W W
authors.initials: WW
authors.lastname: Chau
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
authors.forename: Carol
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
authors.forename: Anthony W L
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Kwok
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China.|Total Rehabilitation Management (Hong Kong) Limited, Hong Kong, China.
authors.forename: H S
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Lai
authors.affiliation: Department of Imaging and Interventional Radiology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
authors.forename: Ryan K L
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Imaging and Interventional Radiology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
authors.forename: James F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Griffith
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
authors.forename: L K
authors.initials: LK
authors.lastname: Hung
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
authors.forename: J C Y
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Cheng
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D006233:Persons with Disabilities / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D005260:Female; D006723:Hong Kong; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D060051:Occupational Injuries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D019637:Orthopedic Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D062707:Return to Work; D018582:Sick Leave; D059039:Standard of Care; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D017132:Workplace; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Low back pain; case management; return-to-work; worker's compensation