TY - JOUR
T1 - Management of occupational back injuries
T2 - Differences among African Americans and Caucasians
AU - Tait, Raymond C.
AU - Chibnall, John T.
AU - Andresen, Elena M.
AU - Hadler, Nortin M.
N1 - Funding Information:
Supported by a grant (R01 HS014007-01) from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). The authors would like to thank Richard Stickann and Lawrence D. Leip of the Division of Workers' Compensation for the State of Missouri for their invaluable assistance with this project.
PY - 2004/12
Y1 - 2004/12
N2 - This study examined differences in the case management of occupational low back injuries in a large, racially diverse population of Workers' Compensation claimants in Missouri. Participants were African Americans (N=580) and non-Hispanic whites (N=892) who had filed occupational injury claims that were settled over an 18-month period. Telephone interview data were gathered regarding diagnoses, legal representation, demographics, and socioeconomic status. The Missouri Division of Workers' Compensation also provided information on medical and temporary disability expenditures, claim duration, final disability ratings, and settlement awards. Simultaneous-entry, hierarchical multiple and logistic regression analyses showed significant and substantial effects for injury-related variables, socioeconomic status, and race across all Workers' Compensation variables. Differences remained for both injury and African Americans and lower socioeconomic status workers after controlling for injury, and for African Americans after controlling for both injury and socioeconomic status. Because Workers' Compensation mandates equal access to treatment and disability reimbursement for all injured workers, the differences observed in this study may reflect sociocultural biases in disability management among healthcare providers.
AB - This study examined differences in the case management of occupational low back injuries in a large, racially diverse population of Workers' Compensation claimants in Missouri. Participants were African Americans (N=580) and non-Hispanic whites (N=892) who had filed occupational injury claims that were settled over an 18-month period. Telephone interview data were gathered regarding diagnoses, legal representation, demographics, and socioeconomic status. The Missouri Division of Workers' Compensation also provided information on medical and temporary disability expenditures, claim duration, final disability ratings, and settlement awards. Simultaneous-entry, hierarchical multiple and logistic regression analyses showed significant and substantial effects for injury-related variables, socioeconomic status, and race across all Workers' Compensation variables. Differences remained for both injury and African Americans and lower socioeconomic status workers after controlling for injury, and for African Americans after controlling for both injury and socioeconomic status. Because Workers' Compensation mandates equal access to treatment and disability reimbursement for all injured workers, the differences observed in this study may reflect sociocultural biases in disability management among healthcare providers.
KW - Disparities
KW - Low back pain
KW - Occupational injury
KW - Treatment
KW - Worker's Compensation
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U2 - 10.1016/j.pain.2004.09.027
DO - 10.1016/j.pain.2004.09.027
M3 - Article
C2 - 15561395
AN - SCOPUS:9244248631
SN - 0304-3959
VL - 112
SP - 389
EP - 396
JO - Pain
JF - Pain
IS - 3
ER -