Predicting the Probability of Return To Work After Injury

Background:

Trauma is a leading cause not only of death worldwide but also of disability, and in Hong Kong it ranks sixth as a cause of death for all age groups. The implementation of trauma systems has improved the survival of injured patients in many settings including Hong Kong. However, the aim of trauma care for the injured person is not only to prolong life but also to restore patients to the best possible health status, and where applicable, to return to work. Survivors of trauma often experience late sequelae that have a major impact on almost all aspects of everyday life, and improvements in functional outcome and health status may continue for at least five years post-injury.

Objectives:

• to evaluate return to work (RTW) status after moderate and major trauma in Hong Kong at one year after injury;
• to derive reliable prediction models for RTW.

Study design:

This is a multi-centre, prospective long-term follow up cohort study of the 1163 trauma patients admitted to the Prince of Wales Hospital (PWH), Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) and Tuen Mun Hospital (TMH) in Hong Kong in 2017-2018. Patients will be recruited within four weeks of ED attendance as soon as the patient is clinically stable and conscious. The follow-up period for return to work status of the 1163 trauma patients will extend from baseline to one year after trauma.

Inclusion criteria

• Aged 18 years or above
• Eligible for the trauma registry
• Working or seeking employment before injury

Exclusion criteria

• Isolated hip or pathological fractures
• Injury severity score (ISS) of 1
• Patients who are unwilling to enter the study
• Patients who have left Hong Kong