Workers Compensation.

workers compensation statistics

• I need the original source for the following informationHistorically, 7.4% of workers? compensation claimants are responsible for 75.6% of the benefits paid out by the workers? compensation system! Further, after 6 weeks of disability the likelihood of an individual in that 7.4% category of ever returning to work is less than 50%. (Source: Quebec Task Force)

• Answer:

  Hello again jeannie1017-ga, Thank you for your clarification. As you requested, I?ve found the source document for the statistics you?ve cited in your question. It comes from a monograph from a 1987 report of the Quebec Task Force on Spinal Disorders and an article by Spitzer et. al. in Spine, 12(7):S1-S51. I found that this article is cited in many subsequent papers on treatment of spinal injuries. Below I?m including the PubMed citation and instructions on how you can obtain the full text of the article. I?ve also included some references to places where the article is mentioned by others to give you a flavor of how it has been used. You indicated that you need more recent statistics so I?ve done some preliminary research to see what is available. Measuring workers? compensation payments and outcomes is an extremely complex issue because there is no national tracking system and each state has different laws and regulations on workers? compensation. In addition, these laws and regulations change frequently. The cost of workers? compensation is a highly charged political issue in many states and there are lots of articles that present statistics to back up any viewpoint you may want to justify. I?ve included some resources to give you an overview of the current issues in workers? compensation to help you clarify your need for information. I suggest that you post another question to get whatever additional information you require. The more information you can share about the context and purpose of your research, the more likely you will get a useful answer. I wish you well with your project. ~ czh ~ ================================================= SOURCE FOR CITED WORKERS? COMPENSATION STATISTICS ================================================= http://www.ergonomics.uwaterloo.ca/Articles/paper_neu-93.html The Relative Importance of Biomechanical and Psychosocial Factors in Low Back Injury The total costs for LBP are difficult to evaluate since a large portion of these costs are indirect to the individuals and the companies involved. Estimates of costs in the US range from 20-50 Billion dollars annually (Frymoyer '92, Nachemson '92). In 1981 in Quebec the direct costs for spinal disorders were over $150 million in payouts for salary replacement and health care. Of these direct costs, 75.6% was paid out for 7.4% of the injuries that lasted over six months (Spitzer et al. '87). This trend, in which the top 10% of LBP cases account for 80-90% of the LBP costs, is also seen in the drilling and aircraft industries (Clemmer et al. '91, Spengler et al. '86). Spitzer, W.O., LeBlanc, F.E., Dupuis, M., Abenhaim, L., Belanger, A.Y., Bloch, R., Bombardier, C., Cruess, R.L., Drouin, G., Duval-Hesler, N., Laflamme, J., Lamoureus, G., Hachemson, A., Page, J.J., Rossignol, M., Salmi, L.R., Salois-Arsenault, S., Sussia, S., and Wood-Dauphinee, S. (1987) Scientific approach to the assessment and management of activity-related spinal disorders: a monograph for clinicians report of the quebec task force on spinal disorders. Spine, 12(7):S1-S51. ***** This article refers to the exact statistics that you?re looking for and provides the citation (Spitzer et al. '87) for the source. ------------------------------------------------- http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=2961086&dopt=Abstract Spine. 1987 Sep;12(7 Suppl):S1-59. PMID: 2961086 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] Scientific approach to the assessment and management of activity-related spinal disorders. A monograph for clinicians. Report of the Quebec Task Force on Spinal Disorders. ***** I searched PubMed for the Spitzer article and was able to get the exact citation. You can order the document by clicking on the Send To drop-down box and selecting Order. This will take you to the Loansome Doc Ordering System login page. If you?re not registered there are extensive instructions about the various options you have for registration and ordering documents from PubMed. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/loansomedoc/loansome_home.html Loansome Doc Ordering System ------------------------------------------------- http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/journals/noprov/loftext_noprov_S.html Spine. (Spine) Aries Systems Corporation (DocuRights) 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 EBSCO (EBSCOPub) 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 Infotrieve (Infotrieve) 2000 2001 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins (LWW) 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 Ovid Technologies, Inc. (Ovid) 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 ***** None of the online databases offering archived materials from the Spine journal go back earlier than 1996. You can contact Spine as shown on their website. ------------------------------------------------- http://www.lww.com/product/0,1255,0362%252D2436,00.html Spine: An International Journal for the Study of the Spine http://www.spinejournal.com/pt/re/spine/journalinfo.htm;jsessionid=AD5ukwV022Rp22fB5ZWQA58sGUI79p40hLw5cR5klQSHJ2ZGTbtp!-2073366012 Journal Information Recognized internationally as the leading journal in its field, Spine is an international, peer-reviewed, bi-weekly periodical that considers for publication original articles in the field of spine. It is the leading subspecialty journal for the treatment of spinal disorders. Publication & Editorial Staff Contacts ***** See contact information for various departments at Spine. ------------------------------------------------- http://www.iwh.on.ca/archive/link_win2000.php Commentaries The report of the International Paris Task Force on Back Pain is relevant to all health care professionals. Other systematic reviews beginning with the Quebec Task Force in 1987 generated similar recommendations including discouragement of bed rest and encouragement of a more active approach in managing low back pain. These recommendations do not appear to be espoused by all health care practitioners. Suzanne Denis, BSc PT Occupational Health & Safety Department Sunnybrook & Women's College Health Science Centre ***** This is one of the articles that references the Quebec Task Force. =============================================== WORKERS? COMPENSATION BACKGROUND AND STATISTICS =============================================== http://www.nasi.org/publications2763/publications_show.htm?doc_id=124291&name=Workers%27%20Compensation Workers' Compensation Coverage by State Workers' Compensation Data Fact Sheet No. 1 ~ October 2002 Summary: Workers' compensation systems are highly individualistic and can not be easily compared. This lack of comparability hampers policy analysis and system improvement. Ideally, systems would be comparable in performance through time and across jurisdictions. Good bench-marking information helps system managers measure and improve their operations. It also tells policy makers how their systems excel or fall behind other jurisdictions. ------------------------------------------------- http://www.nasi.org/publications2763/publications_show.htm?doc_id=183234 Workers' Compensation: Benefits, Coverage, and Costs, 2001 is the sixth in a series begun by the National Academy of Social Insurance to provide the only comprehensive national data on this largely state-run program. The study provides estimates of workers' compensation payments?cash and medical?for all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and federal program providing workers' compensation. ***** This is a 92-page report that you can download. It should be very helpful in getting an overview of the issues and difficulties involved with examining various statistics about workers? compensation payments and programs. http://www.nasi.org/usr_doc/Executive_Summary_2001.pdf Executive Summary 2001 ***** This is a 20-page document covering the highlights of the above research paper. ------------------------------------------------- http://www.nasi.org/search_site2710/search_site_list.htm National Academy of Social Insurance Workers' Compensation Results Click these links to skip to a particular content type, or scroll through the page to view all matching results. What's New | Current Nasi Projects | Briefs & Fact Sheets | Conference Proceedings & Books | Miscellaneous | Press Releases | Reports ------------------------------------------------- http://www.ippsr.msu.edu/Publications/ARWorkComp.pdf Evaluating the Administration of Workers? Compensation and its Relationship to Program Outcomes: Implications for Michigan. ***** This is a 25 page report dated December 16, 2002 from the School of Labor and Industrial Relations at Michigan State University. It includes many statistical tables to help you interpret the payment of workers? compensation claims through various lenses and will help you get a better overview of the complexities involved with these programs. =============== SEARCH STRATEGY =============== Quebec Task Force workers compensation statistics quebec task force 75.6 workers compensation Quebec Task Force on Spinal Disorders "Quebec Task Force" 75.6 7.4 medical journals spine Spitzer 75.6 7.4