Factors associated with early discharge from a multidisciplinary work rehabilitation program for chronic low back pain

Abstract

The need to document cost-benefit of comprehensive work rehabilitation services represents a critical requirement for its long-term viability as a treatment option for injured workers. One approach to improving cost-benefit is to identify patients who experience difficulty completing a rigorous goal-oriented treatment approach. This study examined a set of psychological, pain, perceived work environment, and patient expectation measures in order to determine whether such factors were associated with failure to complete rehabilitation. Patients ( n = 168) presenting with low back pain who participated in a multidisciplinary work rehabilitation program (physical conditioning, work conditioning, work-related pain and stress management, ergonomie consultation, and vocational counseling) were categorized into 2 groups based upon whether they completed the 4 week, 5 day per week program ( n = 84) or were discharged prior to program completion ( n = 84). T tests were computed for return to work expectation, pain (average pain intensity, fear of re-injury), psychological measures (somatization, dysthymia), perceived work environment (work pressure, control, supervisor support), and disability (duration of work disability, physical disability, perceived disability) variables found in previous studies to affect successful rehabilitation and return to work. The discharged group was marked by lower return to work expectations, and heightened somatization, pain intensity, and perceived disability. In addition, this group was significantly younger and had been out of work longer. The groups did not differ on gender, marital status, ICD-9 diagnoses or perceived work environment. These findings indicate that patients displaying the pattern of low return to work expectations, heightened perceived disability, pain and somatic focus experience compliance problems in an intensive work rehabilitation program. Efforts should be made to identify these factors prior to program entrance and to provide interventions directed at increasing the likelihood of success.