Return to Work After Potential Severe Injury
Return to Work After Potential Severe Injury
In Norway an estimated 10 % of the population is injured annually. Of these 36.000 sustain
 permanent functional impairment, 1.200 receive disability pension, and approximately 2.500
 die because of their injuries. Mortality is the most common variable measuring trauma
 outcome. However, measuring only trauma mortality may be looking merely at the tip of the
 iceberg. For every trauma death, there are ten-folds suffering long term functional
 impairment. Mortality is therefore a too crude variable to describe the impact of injuries -
 both for the individual trauma patient and for society as a whole. There is a need for
 variables describing long-term outcomes on a functional level. The aim of this study is to
 use the rate of return to work and education as an alternative outcome measure. The ability
 of returning to work after injury is a central indicator of individual functional outcome,
 combining both physical and mental skills in performing complex and compound tasks. Previous
 studies on return to work after injury are limited by a combination of short follow-up times,
 the use of patient reported outcomes and having mainly been focusing on only severely injured
 patients (ISS > 15). This a population-based study including all patients in working age (16
 - 65 years) received by a trauma team in any of the eight hospitals within the region of
 Central Norway in the time period from June 1st,2007 to May 30th, 2010. Already collected
 trauma registry data will be linked with national register data on sickness and disability
 benefits, employment and education.
Inclusion Criteria:

 -  exposed to traumatic injuries

 -  received by trauma team attendance

 -  received by trauma team activation protocol