ArticleOccupational and environmental medicine2019
Relationship between early prescription dispensing patterns and work disability in a cohort of low back pain workers' compensation claimants: a historical cohort study.
Article in Occupational and environmental medicine, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 16 papers.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Who cites it
16 citing papers in PubMed, 22 citations in OpenAlex.
- The Association of First Provider Seen With Time Loss From Work Among Workers With Back Injury: A Cohort Study.American journal of industrial medicine · 2026Article
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- Shoulder-assist exoskeleton effects on balance and muscle activity during a block-laying task on a simulated mast climber.International journal of industrial ergonomics · 2024Article
- Time to Service and Its Relationship with Outcomes in Workers with Compensated Musculoskeletal Conditions: A Scoping Review.Journal of occupational rehabilitation · 2024Article
- Secular trends in gabapentinoid dispensing by compensated workers with low back pain: a retrospective cohort study.Occupational and environmental medicine · 2024Article
- Impact of Prescription Medicines on Work-Related Outcomes in Workers with Musculoskeletal Disorders or Injuries: A Systematic Scoping Review.Journal of occupational rehabilitation · 2024Article
- Increased Use and Large Variation in Strong Opioids and Metamizole (Dipyrone) for Minor and Major Musculoskeletal Injuries Between 2008 and 2018: An Analysis of a Representative Sample of Swiss Workers.Journal of occupational rehabilitation · 2024Article
- Risk Stratification in a Tertiary Care Spine Centre: Comparison Between STarTBack and OSPRO-YF Screening Tools.Physiotherapy Canada. Physiotherapie Canada · 2023Article
- Impact of Opioid Use on Duration of Time Loss After Work-Related Lower Limb Injury.Journal of occupational rehabilitation · 2023Article
- Impact evaluation of a brief online training module on physician use of the Maryland, USA, Prescription Drug Monitoring Program.PloS one · 2022Article
- Changes in early high-risk opioid prescribing practices after policy interventions in Washington State.Health services research · 2021Article
- Brief Report: Characteristics and Needs of Persons Admitted to an Inpatient Psychiatric Hospital With Workers' Compensation Coverage.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2021Article
- Early High-Risk Opioid Prescribing Practices and Long-Term Disability Among Injured Workers in Washington State, 2002 to 2013.Journal of occupational and environmental medicine · 2020Article
- Are injured workers with higher rehabilitation service utilization less likely to be persistent opioid users? A cross-sectional study.BMC health services research · 2019Article
- Validation of the Subgroups for Targeted Treatment for Back (STarT Back) screening tool at a tertiary care centre.Canadian journal of surgery. Journal canadien de chirurgieArticle
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
5 authors at 4 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
objectivesTo examine and compare whether dispensing of prescription opioids, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and skeletal muscle relaxants (SMRs) within 8 weeks after a work-related low back pain (LBP) injury is associated with work disability.
methodsA historical cohort study of 55 571 workers' compensation claimants with LBP claims in British Columbia from 1998 to 2009 was conducted using linked compensation, dispensing and healthcare data. Four exposures were constructed to estimate the effect on receipt of benefits and days on benefits 1 year after injury: drug class(es) dispensed, days' supply, strength of opioids dispensed and average daily morphine-equivalent dose.
resultsCompared with claimants receiving NSAIDs and/or SMRs, the incidence rate ratio (IRR) of days on benefits was 1.09 (95% CI 1.04 to 1.14) for claimants dispensed opioids only and 1.26 (95% CI 1.22 to 1.30) for claimants dispensed opioids with NSAIDs and/or SMRs. Compared with weak opioids only, the IRR for claimants dispensed strong opioids only or strong and weak opioids combined was 1.21 (95% CI 1.12 to 1.30) and 1.29 (95% CI 1.20 to 1.39), respectively. The incident rate of days on benefits associated with each 7-day increase in days supplied of opioids, NSAIDs and SMRs was 10%, 4% and 3%, respectively. Similar results were seen for receipt of benefits, though effect sizes were larger.
conclusionsFindings suggest provision of early opioids leads to prolonged work disability compared with NSAIDs and SMRs, though longer supplies of all drug classes are also associated with work disability. Residual confounding likely partially explains the findings. Research is needed that accounts for prescriber, system and workplace factors.
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