Functional and employment outcomes following road traffic crashes in Queensland, Australia: Protocol for a prospective cohort study.

Abstract

IntroductionMost road traffic crash injuries are minor to moderate in severity, but can still lead to persistent disability. One aspect of this disability is being unable to return to paid employment. Being unable to work has follow-on effects for personal financial stability, health and quality of life, as well as increasing costs for employers and society more broadly. In order to better understand the trajectory of returning to work in individuals injured in road traffic crashes, a prospective inception cohort study will be conducted across multiple sites in Queensland, Australia that will assess work and health outcomes in the first year after injury. This study protocol describes the process undertaken by the research team to design the methodology of this study. MethodsParticipants aged between 18 and 64 years, injured in a crash involving a motorised vehicle, will be recruited from public hospitals in Queensland. Participants will be excluded if their injuries are severe, including severe traumatic brain injury or spinal cord injury. Baseline data collection will occur within 28 days of the injury, with major follow up assessments occurring at 6 and 12 months post-baseline. Outcome measures include return to work status, health-related quality of life, musculoskeletal pain, disability, psychosocial well-being, and physical activity. Ethics and disseminationThis study has been approved by Townsville Hospital and Health Service Human Research Ethics Committee, and The University of Queensland Human Research Ethics Committee. RegistrationAustralian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry reference number ACTRN12618001684213.