L. Hashemi et al., Trends in disability duration and cost of workers' compensation low back pain claims (1988-1996), J OCCUP ENV, 40(12), 1998, pp. 1110-1119
Citations number
34
Categorie Soggetti
Envirnomentale Medicine & Public Health
Journal title
JOURNAL OF OCCUPATIONAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL MEDICINE
Previously published epidemiologic studies of low back pain (LBP) have repo
rted that the prevalence of low back disability has increased dramatically.
These studies based their findings on either the number of disability clai
ms filed, the disability duration, or both. This information was from count
ries other than the United States or from the US Social Security Disability
Insurance data, with findings reported only to the early 1980s. More recen
t studies of US workers' compensation LBP claims reported a decrease in the
incidence rate from the late 1980s to the mid-1990s. No studies have been
found that report on the trends of disability duration for workers' compens
ation LBP claims. This study examined recent trends in the length of disabi
lity (LOD) for LBP claims and associated costs, using a large sample of cla
ims from the privately insured US workers' compensation market. LOD and cos
t information were derived for injuries from 1988, 1990, 1992, 1994, and 19
96. For each year, the distributions of LOD and cost were skewed, with the
small percentage of claims that lasted more than one year (4.6%-8.8%, depen
ding on the year) accounting for a large percentage of the total disability
days (77.6%-90.1%) and cost (64.9%-84.7%). From 1988 to 1996, the average
LOD decreased 60.9%, from 156 days to 61 days. The probability of being on
disability for a long period of time has decreased over the years. Over the
study period, the average cost of a claim decreased 41.4%, while the media
n cost increased 19.7%. The most influential change in the LOD and cost dis
tributions was a reduction in expensive claims with a long disability durat
ion. The evolution of LOD and cost is also detailed for different disabilit
y durations for the study period.