Aims of the study: Given the lack of information on the relation between baseline patient, injury and treatment data and longer-term outcomes for survivors of significant trauma, the objective of this evaluation was to examine the degree to which these characteristics might predict working constraints and expenses.
Methods: 1183 significantly injured patients (New Injury Severity Score >8) of working age were treated at a Swiss trauma centre. Only patients insured by the largest national accident insurer, Suva, were included. Their sociodemographic, trauma, treatment and early clinical status data were evaluated against insurance variables for 4 years post-injury (uni- and multivariate analysis, R2).
Results: 346 out of 363 surviving Suva-insured patients were eligible for analysis, constituting a 95% complete 4-year longitudinal follow-up. Overall, 121 (35%) presented with a reduced capacity to work (RCW) 1 to 4 years after the trauma. Patients experienced a mean percentage RCW (PRCW) of 27% 1 year after injury and of 14% at 4 years. In multivariate analysis all investigated parameters together explained 40% of the adjusted variance of patients’ mean PRCW over the 4-year surveillance period, with the highest association found for the block of injury-related variables (17%). Sixty percent of variance was explained for total insurance costs, found to be on average CHF 417,000 per case in patients with a RCW compared with CHF 47,000 per case without RCW (p <0.001).
Conclusions: Four years after significant injury, every fifth patient presented with resultant RCW; half of these remained totally incapable of work. Investigated baseline parameters predicted about 40% of the variance regarding RCW. Future studies are needed to better explain and potentially minimise longer-term incapacity to work following injury. (Trial registration no. NCT02165137).