• Michael Fitzharris, Diana Bowman, and Karinne Ludlow.
• Accident Research Centre, Monash University, Victoria, Australia. Michael.Fitzharris@muarc.monash.edu.au
• Aust N Z J Public Health. 2010 Apr 1;34(2):153-9.

ObjectiveTo explore the relationships between injury, disability, work role and return-to-work outcomes following admission to hospital as a consequence of injury sustained in a road crash.Design And SettingProspective cohort study of patients admitted to an adult trauma centre and two metropolitan teaching hospitals in Victoria, Australia. Participants were interviewed in hospital, 2.5 and eight months post-discharge.ParticipantsParticipants were 60 employed and healthy adults aged 18 to 59 years admitted to hospital in the period February 2004 to March 2005.ResultsDespite differences in health between the lower extremity fracture and non-fracture groups eight months post-crash the proportions having returned to work was approximately 90%. Of those returning to work, 44% did so in a different role. After adjustment for baseline parameters, lower extremity injuries were associated with a slower rate of return to work (HR: 0.31; 95%CI: 0.16-0.58) as was holding a manual occupation (HR: 0.16; 95%CI: 0.09-0.57). There were marked differences in physical health between and within the injury groups at both follow-up periods.ConclusionsThese results demonstrate that both injury type and severity and the nature of ones occupation have a considerable influence on the rate and pattern of return to work following injury. Further, persisting disability has a direct influence on the likelihood of returning to work. The implications of these findings and the types of data required to measure outcome post-injury are discussed.© 2010 The Authors. Journal Compilation © 2010 Public Health Association of Australia.

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