Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34462931›Full record

ArticleAmerican journal of industrial medicine2021

Appraisal of Washington State workers' compensation-based return-to-work programs and suggested system improvements: A survey of workers with permanent impairments.

Jeanne M Sears, Amy T Edmonds, Ellen MacEachen, Deborah Fulton-Kehoe

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in American journal of industrial medicine, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

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.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Jeanne M SearsDepartment of Health Systems and Population Health, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-7325-1279
Amy T EdmondsDepartment of Health Systems and Population Health, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA.
Ellen MacEachenSchool of Public Health Sciences, University of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.ORCID 0000-0001-6477-7650
Deborah Fulton-KehoeDepartment of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA.

Funding

University of Washington Education and Research CenterT42OH008433 · OH · UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON · PI SIMPSON, CHRISTOPHER D · 2005 to 2024
$29.4M
Keys to Re-Injury Prevention and Sustained Return-to-Work for Disabled WorkersR21OH011355 · OH · UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON · PI SEARS, JEANNE M. · 2018 to 2019
$427k
NIOSH CDC HHS R21 OH011355NIOSH CDC HHS T42 OH008433
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundFollowing a work-related permanent impairment, injured workers commonly face barriers to safe and successful return to work (RTW). Examining workers' experiences with the workers' compensation (WC) system could highlight opportunities to improve RTW outcomes. Objectives included summarizing workers': (1) appraisal of several WC-based RTW programs, and (2) suggestions for vocational rehabilitation and WC system improvements to promote safe and sustained RTW.

methodsIn telephone interviews, 582 Washington State workers with work-related permanent impairments were asked whether participation in specified WC-based RTW programs helped them RTW and/or stay at work. Suggestions for program and system improvements were solicited using open-ended questions; qualitative content analysis methods were used to inductively code responses.

resultsMost respondents reported positive impacts from RTW program participation; for example, 62.5% of vocational rehabilitation participants reported it helped them RTW, and 51.7% reported it helped them stay at work. Among 582 respondents, 28.0% reported that no change was needed to the WC system, while 57.6% provided suggestions or critiques. Reduce delays/simplify process/improve efficiency was the most frequent WC system theme-mentioned by 34.9%. Among 120 vocational rehabilitation participants, 35.8% reported that no change was needed to vocational rehabilitation, while 46.7% (N = 56) provided suggestions or critiques. More worker choice/input into the vocational retraining plan was the most frequent vocational rehabilitation theme-mentioned by 33.9%.

conclusionsThis study's findings suggest that there is substantial room for improvement in workers' experience with the WC system. In addition, injured workers' feedback may reflect opportunities to reduce administrative burden and to improve worker health and RTW outcomes.

Indexed as

Return to WorkWorkers' CompensationHumansRehabilitation, VocationalSurveys and QuestionnairesWashingtonadministrative burdenjob accommodationoccupational injuriespermanent impairmentpermanent partial disabilityreinjuriesreturn to workunemploymentvocational rehabilitationworkers' compensation

Identifiers

PMID34462931
PMCPMC8500921

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.