• Supriya Lahiri, Saira Latif, Laura Punnett, and ProCare Research Team.
• Department of Economics, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, MA 01854, USA. supriya_lahiri@uml.edu
• Am. J. Ind. Med. 2013 Apr 1;56(4):469-78.

BackgroundOccupational injuries, especially back problems related to resident handling, are common in nursing home employees and their prevention may require substantial up-front investment. This study evaluated the economics of a safe resident handling program (SRHP), in a large chain of skilled nursing facilities, from the corporation's perspective.MethodsThe company provided data on program costs, compensation claims, and turnover rates (2003-2009). Workers' compensation and turnover costs before and after the intervention were compared against investment costs using the "net-cost model."ResultsAmong 110 centers, the overall benefit-to-cost ratio was 1.7-3.09 and the payback period was 1.98-1.06 year (using alternative turnover cost estimates). The average annualized net savings per bed for the 110 centers (using company based turnover cost estimates) was $143, with a 95% confidence interval of $22-$264. This was very similar to the average annualized net savings per full time equivalent (FTE) staff member, which was $165 (95% confidence interval $22-$308). However, at 49 centers costs exceeded benefits.ConclusionsDecreased costs of worker injury compensation claims and turnover appear at least partially attributable to the SRHP. Future research should examine center-specific factors that enhance program success, and improve measures of turnover costs and healthcare productivity.Copyright © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

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