Issue:
Studies on return-to-work (RTW) have consistently identified female workers and older workers as two groups that have poorer recovery outcomes and longer absences from work following a work-related injury. Although female workers and older workers have, in general, a lower risk of work injury, the increasing number of older and female workers in the labour market, and the changing nature of hazards in Canadian workplaces have resulted in the number of injuries among both these groups to rise substantially. To date most research on the consequences of work injuries has treated age and gender as things to adjust for in analyses. As a result, while we know that factors such as recovery expectations, offers of work accommodation, interactions between the worker and their health care provider, contact with the worker by the workplace are all associated with shorter durations of disability, we do not know if the provision of these factors differs for women compared to men, or older workers compared to younger workers. In addition, we do not know if the relationships between factors are more or less effective for women or older workers. Although gender and age are non-modifiable factors, if we can better understand where differences between men and women, and older and younger workers occur in the RTW process; or if particular interventions of more efficacious among these groups; then this would inform the development of targeted secondary interventions to improve the recovery and economic outcomes of both these groups.
Objectives:
•To better understand factors at the individual, occupational, workplace and health care provider level that mediate the relationship between age and gender/sex and RTW outcomes following a musculoskeletal (MSK) injury.
•To identify situations where gender/sex and age moderate the relationship between injury, occupational, workplace and health care provider factors and RTW outcomes following a MSK injury.
Anticipated Results:
Findings from this study will provide a much needed knowledge base on which targeted interventions to improve the health and economic outcomes of older workers and female workers following a work-related injury can be developed. The current wage replacement and health care expenditures associated with work-related injury in Ontario are approximately $1 billion in the 12 month period following injury. Given this study will re-examine previously collected information on a large number of compensation claimants; this project offers the potential of a large return on investment in a relatively short time period.
Investigators:
Peter Smith, Sheilah Hogg-Johnson, Cameron Mustard
