Predicting Work Status for Patients in an Occupational Medicine Setting Who Report Back Pain
Marie A. Krousel-Wood, MD, MSPH;
Todd W. McCune, MD, MPH;
Ahmed Abdoh, PhD;
Richard N. Re, MD
Arch Fam Med. 1994;3(4):349-355.
Abstract
Objective
To determine the ability of patient-reported health status information to predict physician-determined fit-for-work status for patients reporting complaints of low back pain.
Design
Cross-sectional study using survey methods.
Setting
Occupational medicine section of a large multispecialty private clinic.
Patients
Four hundred sixty-two questionnaire packets were distributed to patients who were seen for work-related conditions or disorders over a 13-week period; 235 questionnaires were returned (51% response rate). One hundred seven responders reported low back pain and completed the Low Back Pain TyPE (Technology of Patient Experience) Tool. The mean (±SD) age of respondents was 39 (±12) years; 67% of respondents were male, 70% were white, 87% were receiving worker's compensation, 58% were married, and 55% had a high school education or less.
Interventions
Questionnaire packets for self-administration containing health/functional status questions (short form [SF]-36, COOP Charts) and the Low Back Pain TyPE Tool were distributed to the patients. Other variables were abstracted from the medical records and administrative databases.
Main Outcome Measures
The primary study out-come measured was fitness for work; patients were examined and categorized as fit or not fit for work by physicians who were unaware of the questionnaire results. Results: Logistic regression analysis consisted of variables from 107 patients who reported low back pain. The final model contained the physical functioning scale (SF-36), employment status, smoking status, and physical functioning (SF-36) by gender interaction. Seventy-seven percent of the fit-for-work cases and 90% of the not-fit-for-work cases were correctly classified.
Conclusion
Patient-reported physical function (as modified by gender), smoking status, and employment status predicted physician-determined work status for patients reporting low back pain in this study. Larger studies will be required to confirm this finding.
Author Affiliations
From the Research Division, Alton Ochsner Medical Foundation (Drs Krousel-Wood, Abdoh, and Re) and the Ochsner Clinic (Dr McCune), New Orleans, La. Dr McCune is now with St Mary's Hospital, Rochester, NY.
THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES
Predicting Work Status for Patients in an Occupational Medicine Setting Who Report Back Pain
Singer
Arch Fam Med 1994;3:753-753.
ABSTRACT
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