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In our previous study, we found that performing patient handling (RR=1.2, 95% CI=1.2-1.3) was the only risk factor of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) among hospital workers. In this study, we sought to explore whether patient handling was the only factor associated with increasing costs for the treatment of MSDs.
Methods
From a large health system in United States, 3,452 Workers’ Compensation (WC) claims were reimbursed for medical costs from 2003 to 2009. The International Classification of Diseases 9 was used to identify MSDs. Zero-truncated negative binomial 2 (ZTNB2) were fit with reimbursed medical costs and covariates; age, gender, occupation, union membership, shift, employment status, and patient handling.
Results
Among reimbursed claims, 2,620 (76%) were MSDs with median $1,960 per claim (mean=$7,560). Nurse assistants spent more on MSDs treatment compared with nurses (RR=1.6, 95% CI=1.3-1.9); workers younger than 30 years old spent approximately half of what 60 year old or older workers spent (RR=0.6, 95% CI=0.4-0.7); women spent 30% less than men (RR=0.7, 95% CI=0.6-0.8); evening shift workers spent 23% more than day shift workers (RR=1.2, 95% CI=1.0-1.4); full-time workers spent 30% more than per-diem workers (RR=1.3, 95% CI=1.0-1.7); when the injury involved patient handling, the cost was 14% less than non-patient handling tasks.
Discussion
There are limited data on the economic burden among health care workers following the onset of MSDs. To reduce the onset, decreasing patient handling tasks would be effective; however, once injuries occur, several factors play a role in increasing costs of treatment. WC only captures limited data. Individual, psychological and social factors, many of which are not captured in WC, may play an important role in characterizing the economic burden. To reduce the burden, further investigations are needed. To this effect, policy initiatives and allocation of funds should be directed to address this research topic.