A systematic review of prognostic factors for return to work following work-related traumatic hand injury
Open accessAbstract
Study design Systematic review.Introduction Traumatic hand injuries are frequent cause of work related injuries and can result in prolonged durations of time loss from work.Purpose To systematically review available evidence to determine which prognostic factors predict return-to-work (RTW) following work-related traumatic hand injuries.Methods We searched Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL and PsycINFO from 1980 to September 2013 and reference lists of articles. Studies investigating any prognostic factors of RTW after traumatic hand injury were included. Two reviewers performed study selection, assessment of methodological quality and data extraction independently of each other. Identified factors were grouped into conceptual prognostic factor categories.Results We assessed 8 studies, which addressed 11 potential prognostic factors (i.e., sociodemographic factors, occupation, work compensation status, treatment related factors, impairment severity, location of injury, etc.). The quality of the studies was low to moderate. Across all included studies, RTW (original or modified work) occurred in over 60% of individuals by 6 months. There was consistent low-moderate quality evidence that individuals with more severe impairments and lower pre-injury income were less likely to RTW, and low-moderate quality evidence that age, gender and level of education had no impact on RTW. Evidence on other commonly cited prognostic factors were limited in the literature.Conclusion Impairment severity and lower pre-injury income showed a consistent association with RTW following occupational hand injury, while other factors demonstrated no or variable effects across studies. Additional high-quality studies are warranted toward improving our understanding of the complex factors that mediate RTW following a traumatic work-related hand injury.Level of evidence 2a.
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Most studies in hand therapy have focused on maximizing physical recovery and medical or occupational therapy procedures.
“Most studies conducted in hand therapy have focused on maximizing physical recovery and adjustments with regard to medical or occupational therapy procedures [12-15].”
From Development and usability testing of a web-based and therapist-assisted coping skills program for managing psychosocial problems in individuals with hand and upper limb injuries: Mixed methods study (2020) · cites this paper as [13]
The Introduction says return to work is not determined solely by physical readiness, and the Studies identified section describes research on prognostic factors after work-related hand injury. The Treatment related variables section discusses two studies of treatment and return to work, but no passage establishes that most hand-therapy studies focus on maximizing physical recovery or on medical or occupational therapy procedures. Searches for those claimed research priorities found no supporting passage; page numbers were unavailable in our copy. (LLM, conf=0.75)
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References 30 · Cited by 83
Research works printed but not linked: 1
- Turner JA, Franklin G, Turk DC. Predictors of chronic disability in injured workers: a systematic literature synthesis. Am J Ind Med. Dec 2000;38(6):707e 722.
- Authors
- Shi, Q., Sinden, K., MacDermid, J. C., Walton, D., & Grewal, R.
- Affiliations
- Western University (CA)
- McMaster University (CA)
- St Joseph's Health Centre (CA)
- Corresponding author
- Shi, Qiyun
- Venue
- Journal of Hand Therapy
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2014-01
- Volume
- 27
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 55-62
- ISSN
- 0894-1130 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W1999892876
- Cited by
- 83
- References
- 30
- Citations by year
- 2026: 6 · 2025: 9 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 5 · 2022: 8 · 2021: 10 · 2020: 11 · 2019: 7 · 2018: 6 · 2017: 8 · 2016: 8 · 2015: 1 · 2014: 1
- FWCI
- 0.59
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- Journal of Hand Therapy (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Scholarship@Western (Western University) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Surgery › Orthopedic Surgery and Rehabilitation
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › Physical Therapy, Sports Therapy and Rehabilitation › Medical Practices and Rehabilitation
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › Occupational Therapy › Occupational Health and Safety in Workplaces
- Keywords
- return to work, traumatic hand injury, occupational hand injury, prognostic factors, impairment severity, occupational injuries, work compensation
- MeSH terms
- Accidents, Occupational, Age Factors, Educational Status, Hand Injuries, Health Status, Humans, Income, Mental Health, Occupations, Prognosis, Sex Factors, Workers' Compensation, Injury Severity Score, Return to Work
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