Issue:
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is the leading cause of death and disability for those aged 50 and under in Canada. Even a mild TBI can cause serious changes in movement, thinking, and behaviour. TBI profoundly disrupts the lives of workers and their families by causing loss of income, loss of promotions at work, loss of personal relationships and high medical costs. Data from the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board of Ontario indicates that over the last 10 years, the number of claims for work-related TBI (WrTBI) has doubled, while there has been a decrease in other types of workplace injury. There is very little research on the nature and consequences of work related TBI particularly in Canada.
Objectives:
The objectives of this pilot study are:
1. to determine the timeline and feasibility of participant recruitment and follow-up;
2. to determine the feasibility of the study methodology;
3. to assess the validity and reliability of the Return to Work Questionnaire and revisethe variables of interest based on the results obtained from the telephone interviews;
4. to review the number of cases that require a translator and assess the feasibility ofcreating a revised Return to Work Questionnaire for these cases or amending the questionnaire so that a family member who can speak English can facilitate the completion of the phone interview and questionnaires;
5. to inform the budget for the full-scale study to follow.
Anticipated Results:
The results of this study will be used to improve rehabilitation of WrTBI to provide education and support to employers who are returning injured workers to the workplace, and to develop better re-injury prevention strategies.
Investigators:
Angela Colantonio (Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, University of Toronto), Bonnie Kirsh ( University of Toronto), John Lewko (Laurentian University), Mark Bayley, Deborah Hebert, Angela M. Carter (Toronto Rehabilitation Institute), Vicki L. Kristman (Toronto Western Research Institute/UHN), J. David Cassidy (Toronto Western Research Institute/UHN and University of Toronto)
