Return to Work After Mild Traumatic Brain Injury
Condition: Mild Traumatic Brain Injury; Concussion, Mild
MeSH terms: Brain Injuries; Brain Injuries, Traumatic; Brain Concussion; Wounds and Injuries
Study type: Observational

Summary: 
      Background:

      Patients with mild traumatic brain injury can to some extend experience long-term physical,
      cognitive, social and behavioral deficits, which have serious implications for employment
      trajectories and financial independence. These deficits have shown to be more pronounced in
      women. High socio-economic position such as income, level of education and employment status
      before the accident have shown to affect return to work. But also cohabitation status,
      ethnicity and health are important factors. Previously studies are typically self-report
      studies, and are often small and may suffer from selection bias due to patient nonresponse.

      Aim:

      The aim of this study is to describe no return to work among patients with mild traumatic
      brain injury in Denmark and to examine how factors such as age, gender, cohabitation status,
      socio-economic and pre-injury health factors affect no return to work up to 5 years
      post-injury.

      Hypothesis:

      We hypothesize that most patients with mild traumatic brain injury return to work within work
      6 months post-injury, and that patients with mild traumatic brain injury injury receive more
      social transfer payments compared to the general population.

      Additionally, we hypothesize that low socio economic position, comorbidities and being single
      are associated with prolonged no return to work.

      Methods:

      The present study is an observational national register-based cohort study with long-term
      follow up of patients with mild traumatic brain injury from 1st of January 2008 - 31st of
      December 2012 in Denmark. Patients aged 18-60 years diagnosed with concussion from 1st of
      January 2003-31st of December 2007 in the national patient register will be included in the
      study. Data will be retrieved from several national databases, including the DREAM database
      containing data on social benefits and reimbursements.

      Primary outcome is no-return to work (nRTW) due to any cause and the following four secondary
      outcomes are graded and should be regarded as a continuum ranging from health related nRTW,
      limited nRTW, permanently nRTW and mortality.

      The results will be published as two separate scientific articles.
    


Observational model: Cohort
Time perspective: Retrospective
Sampling method: Probability Sample
Study population: 
        Patients with mild traumatic brain injury were hospital admitted, emergency or outpatient
        treated and identified on the basis of ICD-10 codes in the National Patient Register from
        the 1st of January 2003 - 31st of December 2007.

        Patients were included if they were registered in the national patient register database
        with concussion (ICD-10 S06.0) as primary diagnosis.
      
Keywords: Mild traumatic brain injury; Concussion; Labour market affiliation; Return to work; Sickness absence; Long-term sickness absence; Disability pension