Almost 80 per cent of people return to work after traumatic spinal fracture or spinal cord injury (SCI), new research suggests.
The three-year study, conducted at Poursina Tertiary Hospital in Guilan, Iran, aimed to create a predictive model for return to work (RTW) and understand the factors that impact the time people take to return to work after injury.
Data from a total of 300 hospitalised patients aged between 18 to 65 was included in the study, including demographic and clinical information obtained from the National Spinal Column/Cord Injury Registry of Iran.
Researchers also conducted questionnaires over the phone to collect supplementary data on social and occupational factors impacting RTW.
The study found that 78.6 per cent of patients successfully returned to work after an average of seven months.
The researchers found that people with a Bachelor’s degree were more likely to return to work sooner than those without the qualification.
Meanwhile, post-injury complications, opium use, a higher number of vertebral fractures and extended hospital stays were associated with delayed RTW.
The researchers also noted that wealthier people and those with greater job flexibility tended to take a longer time to return to work post-injury.
The researchers concluded: “Identifying the modifiable factors associated with RTW can help rehabilitation professionals and health policymakers plan appropriate interventions to improve the employment status of these patients.”
