Cost-Consequence Analysis of the Return to Work (RTW) Program for Workers with Disabilities in Indonesia: Health,...

This study assesses the cost consequence of the Return To Work (RTW) program for disabled workers who suffered from occupational injury in Indonesia in last decade. The question was whether or not RTW programs result in improved health, economic, and productivity results compared with traditional treatments.

Retrospective design was conducted to analyze the occupational injury claim records by evaluating the cost consequences of the RTW program in Indonesia. We compared 1353 RTW claims with 10,602 occupational injury claims. Cost-consequence analysis reported disaggregated outcomes (Lost Time Injury Days (LTIDs), RTW rates, medical costs, productivity losses) following CHEERS 2022 guidelines. Costs were adjusted to USD using the Indonesian Consumer Price Index and average exchange rate data in 2022.

Occupational injury with RTW claims had higher average direct medical treatment costs (USD 822.50 vs USD 262.25) and greater productivity losses than non RTW claims (USD 46239.60 vs USD 28261.20) due to the complex nature of the cases included in the program. RTW cases had longer LTIDs (350.3 vs 214.1 days) and higher productivity‑related costs, reflecting a more complex casemix, but also markedly higher RTW success rates than usual care where 84.0% RTW vs 20.3% non RTW cases.

The RTW program has resulted in different patterns of costs and outcomes than traditional treatments. These differences should be considered by decision-makers when determining how to allocate resources effectively.