• Lori A Keyser-Marcus, John C Bricout, Paul Wehman, Leanne R Campbell, David X Cifu, Jeffrey Englander, Walter High, and Ross D Zafonte.
• School of Education, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond 23284, USA. lakeyser@saturn.vcu.edu
• Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2002 May 1; 83 (5): 635-41.

ObjectiveTo investigate the relation between selected acute injury and patient characteristics and subsequent return to work 1 to 5 years postinjury.DesignLongitudinal design with prospectively collected data. Data were collected on patients at the time of injury and each year postinjury for up to 5 years.SettingFour medical centers in the federally sponsored Traumatic Brain Injury Model Systems project that provide emergency medical services, intensive and acute medical care, inpatient rehabilitation, and a spectrum of community rehabilitation services.ParticipantsPatients were selected from a national database of 538 rehabilitation inpatients admitted to acute care within 8 hours of traumatic brain injury (TBI) and seen at 1 to 5 years follow-up.InterventionsNot applicable.Main Outcome MeasuresEmployment status (employed vs not employed) at 1 to 5 years postinjury. Logistic regression analyses were performed to determine the extent to which selected variables predicted employment status at years 1 to 5 postinjury.ResultsAt year 1 postinjury, preinjury productivity, age, education, and rehabilitation length of stay were all significantly associated with postinjury employment. Preinjury employment and productivity and age significantly predicted employment at postinjury year 2. At year 3 postinjury, preinjury productivity, age, and FIMtrade mark instrument discharge score significantly predicted employment status. Age was significantly associated with employment status at year 4 postinjury. Preinjury employment and productivity and Disability Rating Scale discharge score were found to be significant predictors of postinjury employment at year 5 follow-up.ConclusionsThe relationship between certain acute injury and patient variables (eg, age, preinjury productivity, education, discharge FIM) and subsequent return to work may provide rehabilitation professionals with useful information regarding the intensity and types of services needed for individuals in the vocational rehabilitation planning process.Copyright 2002 by the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine and the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation

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