Citation

Guzman J, Ibrahimova A, Tompa E, Koehoorn M, Alamgir H. J. Occup. Environ. Med. 2013; 55(8): 910-916.

Affiliation

From the Faculty of Medicine (Dr Guzman), BC Injury Research and Prevention Unit (Dr Ibrahimova), and School of Population and Public Health (Dr Koehoorn), University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada; Institute for Work & Health (Dr Tompa) and Dalla Lana School of Pubic Health (Dr Tompa), University of Toronto, and Department of Economics (Dr Tompa), McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada; and University of Texas School of Public Health at San Antonio (Dr Alamgir).

Copyright

(Copyright © 2013, Lippincott Williams and Wilkins)

DOI

10.1097/JOM.0b013e31828dc9ea

PMID

23887695

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:: To examine nonwage losses after occupational injury among health care workers and the factors associated with the magnitude of these losses. METHODS:: Inception cohort of workers filing an occupational injury claim in a Canadian province. Worker self-reports were used to calculate (1) the nonwage economic losses in 2010 Canadian dollars, and (2) the number of quality-adjusted days of life lost on the basis of the EuroQOL Index. RESULTS:: Most workers (84%; n = 123) had musculoskeletal injuries (MSIs). Each MSI resulted in nonwage economic losses of Can$3131 (95% confidence interval, Can$3035 to Can$3226), lost wages of Can$5286, and 7.9 quality-adjusted days of life lost within 12 weeks after injury. Losses varied with type of injury, region of the province, and occupation. Non-MSIs were associated with smaller losses. CONCLUSIONS:: These estimates of nonwage losses should be considered in workers' injury compensation policies and in economic evaluation studies.

Language: en