Article Review – by Cameron Shaw, B.Kin

An investigation of a workplace-based return-to-work program for shoulder injuries

This article by Shaw, Domanski, Freeman and Hoffele (2008) was to investigate and evaluate the current workplace management for rotator cuff injuries in a manufacturing plant.

In this case study approach, 184 workers with shoulder injuries participated. 13.6% were female, 86.4% were male and ages ranged from 18-45. The aim of this study was to examine the impact of the company’s return-to-work processes, compare outcomes and to identify the components of their workplace return-to-work program.

This article focused on the progression of modified work and the enactment of rehabilitation in the work place as shoulder injury treatment costs exceed all other types of upper extremity work-related injuries. Furthermore, this article highlighted that successful workplace-based return-to-work programs were achieved when employers monitored and corrected unsafe behaviour. This articled emphasized that injured workers that were offered modified work in a timely manner returned to work at twice the rate of those that were not or reduced the number of lost days in half. Their modified work could include 1) an adjustment of the worker’s job rotation 2) restriction of certain jobs 3) split regular / light duties 4) full shift of light duties followed by a ‘reassessment phase’. This article identified that 73.63% of workers were placed in this light duties program within 30 days.

This study also found that 56% of workers who engaged in an early return-to-work program returned to work within one month, 73.2% within two months, 83% within three months and 87.8% of workers with rotator cuff injuries successfully returned to pre-injury work. Overall, this study concluded that there is a strong correlation between the number of days to place into a modified duty program and the number of days to return to work.

As a rehabilitation specialist, involved in handling LTD case files, this article will allow me to better assess claimants knowing that workers with shoulder injuries that have access to early and safe modified duties and will be frequently followed up at work can achieve success in returning to pre-injury work.

For full details of this study see Work 30 (2008) 267-276