Comparison of data sources for the surveillance of work injury. Issue 5 (20th January 2012)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Mustard, Cameron A; Chambers, Andrea; McLeod, Christopher; Bielecky, Amber; Smith, Peter M
• Is Part Of: Occupational and environmental medicine. Volume 69:Issue 5(2012)
• Page Start: 317
• Page End: 324
• Publication Date: 2012-01-20
• Subjects: Occupational epidemiology -- work injury -- surveillance -- back disorders -- public health -- epidemiology -- longitudinal studies -- intervention studies -- cross-sectional studies -- health services research -- organisation of work -- cultural issues -- shift work; Medicine, Industrial -- Periodicals; Environmental health -- Periodicals; 616.980305
• DOI: 10.1136/oemed-2011-100222
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1351-0711

Abstract

Abstract : Objective: The objective of this study was to compare the incidence of work-related injury and illness presenting to Ontario emergency departments to the incidence of worker's compensation claims reported to the Ontario Workplace Safety & Insurance Board over the period 2004–2008. Methods: Records of work-related injury were obtained from two administrative data sources in Ontario for the period 2004–2008: workers' compensation lost-time claims (N=435 336) and records of non-scheduled emergency department visits where the main problem was attributed to a work-related exposure (N=707 963). Denominator information required to compute the risk of work injury per 2 000 000 work hours, stratified by age and gender was estimated from labour force surveys conducted by Statistics Canada. Results: The frequency of emergency department visits for all work-related conditions was approximately 60% greater than the incidence of accepted lost-time compensation claims. When restricted to injuries resulting in fracture or concussion, gender-specific age differences in injury incidence were similar in the two data sources. Between 2004 and 2008, there was a 14.5% reduction in emergency department visits attributed to work-related causes and a 17.8% reduction in lost-time compensation claims. There was evidence that younger workers were more likely than older workers to seek treatment in an emergency department for work-related injury. Conclusions: In this setting, emergency department records available for the complete population of Ontario residents are a valid source of surveillance information on the incidence of work-related disorders. Occupational health and safety authorities should give priority to incorporating emergency department records in the routine surveillance of the health of workers.