STUDY DESIGN: A population-based, incidence cohort study was conducted. OBJECTIVE: To measure the incidence and prognosis for collision-related @entity1643 before and after a change in the insurance compensation system. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: @entity1643 is a common and @entity5281 . It also occurs after traffic collisions, but less is known about its frequency and recovery in this setting. METHODS: An incidence cohort of 4473 low back @entity158 was formed between July 1, 1994 and December 31, 1995 in Saskatchewan. On January 1, 1995 the public insurance system changed from a tort system to a no-fault system, eliminating compensation for @entity158 and suffering. The incidence of claims and the time to claim closure were calculated before and after this change. Prognostic models were built using baseline and follow-up data. RESULTS: The 6-month incidence of claims decreased from 256 to 176 per 100,000 after the insurance change. The median time to claim closure dropped from 505 days for tort claims to 210 days and 216 days for claims made during the first and second 6 months of the no-fault period. Improvements in bodily @entity158 and physical functioning and the absence of @entity308 were associated with faster claim closure. High @entity158 intensity, female gender, full-time employment, concentration problems, and lawyer involvement early in the claim process delayed claim closure. CONCLUSIONS: @entity1643 is a common traffic injury with a prolonged recovery. Its incidence and prognosis are affected by multiple factors, including the type of compensation system. Our study suggests that biopsychosocial factors are important in determining prognosis.

XXXX after traffic collisions: a population-based cohort study.

@entity308 :: ('MESH:D003866', 'Disease') :: ['depressive symptoms'] @entity1643 :: ('MESH:D017116', 'Disease') :: ['Low back pain', 'low back pain'] @entity5281 :: ('MESH:D060051', 'Disease') :: ['costly occupational injury'] @entity158 :: ('MESH:D010146', 'Disease') :: ['pain injury claims', 'pain']
@entity1643 :: (MESH:D017116,Disease) :: ['Low back pain']
