TY - JOUR
T1 - Time to return to work and surgeons' recommendations after carpal tunnel release
AU - Ratzon, Navah
AU - Schejter-Margalit, Tamara
AU - Froom, Paul
PY - 2006/1
Y1 - 2006/1
N2 - Background: Time to return to work after carpal tunnel release is extremely variable suggesting that only a small proportion of total sick-leave is for medical reasons. Aims: To determine factors predicting a delayed return to work. Methods: Fifty consecutive employed patients undergoing carpal tunnel surgery were tested pre-operatively, and then at 1 month post-operatively using both questionnaires and objective testing. Further follow-up by telephone was carried out every 2 weeks up until 90 days. Results: Forty-nine of the 50 workers had returned to work by 3 months. Time to return to work was extremely variable ranging from 1 to 88 days in those who returned to work. Post-operative recommendations by the surgeon also varied widely from 1 to 36 days. The surgeons' recommendations were the strongest predictors of delayed return to work [odds ratio 30.5; 95% confidence interval (CI), 3.2-288], with physical work (odds ratio 27.7; 95% CI, 1.5-507) and lack of self-rated health (odds ratio 5.0; 95% CI, 1.11-100) adding significantly to the logistic regression model, which was highly predictive (area under the receiver-operator curve of 88%). Patient symptoms and objective findings of disability did not add significantly to a logistic regression model either predicting return to work or the surgeon's recommendations. Conclusions: Our study suggests that workers will return to work in less than 3 weeks if recommended by the surgeon. A randomized controlled trial is warranted to determine if a higher proportion of workers returning in less than 3 weeks can be obtained by standardizing surgeons' recommendations.
AB - Background: Time to return to work after carpal tunnel release is extremely variable suggesting that only a small proportion of total sick-leave is for medical reasons. Aims: To determine factors predicting a delayed return to work. Methods: Fifty consecutive employed patients undergoing carpal tunnel surgery were tested pre-operatively, and then at 1 month post-operatively using both questionnaires and objective testing. Further follow-up by telephone was carried out every 2 weeks up until 90 days. Results: Forty-nine of the 50 workers had returned to work by 3 months. Time to return to work was extremely variable ranging from 1 to 88 days in those who returned to work. Post-operative recommendations by the surgeon also varied widely from 1 to 36 days. The surgeons' recommendations were the strongest predictors of delayed return to work [odds ratio 30.5; 95% confidence interval (CI), 3.2-288], with physical work (odds ratio 27.7; 95% CI, 1.5-507) and lack of self-rated health (odds ratio 5.0; 95% CI, 1.11-100) adding significantly to the logistic regression model, which was highly predictive (area under the receiver-operator curve of 88%). Patient symptoms and objective findings of disability did not add significantly to a logistic regression model either predicting return to work or the surgeon's recommendations. Conclusions: Our study suggests that workers will return to work in less than 3 weeks if recommended by the surgeon. A randomized controlled trial is warranted to determine if a higher proportion of workers returning in less than 3 weeks can be obtained by standardizing surgeons' recommendations.
KW - Absenteeism
KW - Carpal tunnel release
KW - Occupational
KW - Surgeons' recommendations
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=30844456811&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1093/occmed/kqi194
DO - 10.1093/occmed/kqi194
M3 - ???researchoutput.researchoutputtypes.contributiontojournal.article???
C2 - 16286431
AN - SCOPUS:30844456811
SN - 0962-7480
VL - 56
SP - 46
EP - 50
JO - Occupational Medicine
JF - Occupational Medicine
IS - 1
ER -