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Factors affecting return to work after hand injury
Summary
Return to work after hand injury depends on more than surgery. Financial need, daily living activities, and occupational therapy significantly impact a hand-injured worker's return to employment.
Area of Science:
- Orthopedics
- Occupational Health
- Rehabilitation Medicine
Background:
- Hand injuries pose significant challenges to wage earners, affecting their ability to return to work.
- Surgical outcomes alone do not fully explain return-to-work (RTW) status in hand-injured individuals.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify factors beyond surgical excellence that influence return-to-work status for hand-injured wage earners.
- To explore the relationship between daily living activities, occupational therapy, financial status, and RTW.
Main Methods:
- A study involving 61 hand-injured subjects.
- Data collection through chart audits and interviews.
- Quantification of medical history, occupational therapy participation, activities of daily living (ADL) capacity, desire/ability to work, and financial support.
- Measurement of occupational development using the Moorhead Occupational Work History.
Main Results:
- Financial need, ADL capacity, and occupational therapy participation were directly related to RTW status.
- No significant difference in RTW rates was observed between dominant and nondominant hand injuries.
- The extent of medical care and its delivery setting (inpatient/outpatient) were not associated with RTW.
Conclusions:
- Return to work for hand-injured individuals is multifactorial, influenced by psychosocial and functional elements.
- Occupational therapy and financial support are crucial for facilitating employment re-entry.
- Focusing solely on surgical outcomes is insufficient for optimizing return-to-work strategies.