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Contrasting patterns of care for musculoskeletal disorders and injuries of the upper extremity and knee through workers' compensation and private health care insurance among union carpenters in Washington State, 1989 to 2008.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Lipscomb, HJ; Schoenfisch, AL; Cameron, W; Kucera, KL; Adams, D; Silverstein, BA
Published in: Am J Ind Med
September 2015

BACKGROUND: Musculoskeletal symptoms and disorders (MSDIs) are common reasons for visits to medical providers in the general population and they are common work-related complaints. Prior reports raise concerns as to whether declines in workers' compensation (WC) rates represent true improvement in occupational health and safety or shifting of care to other payment systems. METHODS: By linking administrative records, we compared patterns of WC claims and private health care utilization for disorders of the upper extremity (UE) and knee among a large cohort of union carpenters over a 20-year period. RESULTS: As WC claim rates declined, private health care utilization increased. The increase was muted somewhat but sustained when adjusting for other patterns of health care utilization. CONCLUSIONS: Findings suggest the decline of WC claim rates do not solely represent improved occupational safety in this population, but also a considerable shifting of care to their private insurance coverage over time.

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Published In

Am J Ind Med

DOI

EISSN

1097-0274

Publication Date

September 2015

Volume

58

Issue

9

Start / End Page

955 / 963

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Workers' Compensation
  • Washington
  • Upper Extremity
  • Private Sector
  • Patient Acceptance of Health Care
  • Occupational Injuries
  • Occupational Diseases
  • Musculoskeletal Diseases
  • Middle Aged
  • Male
 

Citation

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Lipscomb, H. J., Schoenfisch, A. L., Cameron, W., Kucera, K. L., Adams, D., & Silverstein, B. A. (2015). Contrasting patterns of care for musculoskeletal disorders and injuries of the upper extremity and knee through workers' compensation and private health care insurance among union carpenters in Washington State, 1989 to 2008. Am J Ind Med, 58(9), 955–963. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajim.22455
Lipscomb, Hester J., Ashley L. Schoenfisch, Wilfrid Cameron, Kristen L. Kucera, Darrin Adams, and Barbara A. Silverstein. “Contrasting patterns of care for musculoskeletal disorders and injuries of the upper extremity and knee through workers' compensation and private health care insurance among union carpenters in Washington State, 1989 to 2008.Am J Ind Med 58, no. 9 (September 2015): 955–63. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajim.22455.
Journal cover image

Published In

Am J Ind Med

DOI

EISSN

1097-0274

Publication Date

September 2015

Volume

58

Issue

9

Start / End Page

955 / 963

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Workers' Compensation
  • Washington
  • Upper Extremity
  • Private Sector
  • Patient Acceptance of Health Care
  • Occupational Injuries
  • Occupational Diseases
  • Musculoskeletal Diseases
  • Middle Aged
  • Male