A survey regarding physician recommendations regarding return to work

Returning patients to work may be influenced by subjective factors and physician bias. The purpose of this study was to determine whether factors such as complaints of pain and patient motivation influence physicians' recommendations regarding return to work or activity.

One hundred twenty-five members of the American Society for Surgery of the Hand completed an online survey describing a 25-year-old patient with surgically treated diaphyseal fractures of the radius and ulna. Physicians were asked whether the patient could be returned to work in 4 distinct scenarios varying with occupation, time since injury, radiographic union, patient motivation, and pain.

Logistic regression analysis demonstrated that all 5 predictor variables were highly significant predictors of return to work. Pain and diminished motivation were associated with a significantly lower probability of return to work.

Although in the scenario depicted, objective factors such as radiographic union and job demands are the major determinants of physician clearance to return to work, physicians are also influenced by patient motivation and complaints of pain.