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Patient Safety in Surgery
Published in: Patient Safety in Surgery 1/2013

Open Access 01-12-2013 | Short report

Influence of compensation status on time off work after carpal tunnel release and rotator cuff surgery: a meta-analysis

Authors: Vinícius Ynoe de Moraes, Katelyn Godin, João Baptista Gomes dos Santos, Flávio Faloppa, Mohit Bhandari, João Carlos Belloti

Published in: Patient Safety in Surgery | Issue 1/2013

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Abstract

Background

The assessment of post-surgical outcomes among patients with Workers’ Compensation is challenging as their results are typically worse compared to those who do not receive this compensation. These patients’ time to return to work is a relevant outcome measure as it illustrates the economic and social implications of this phenomenon. In this meta-analysis we aimed to assess the influence of this factor, comparing compensated and non-compensated patients.

Findings

Two authors independently searched MEDLINE (Ovid), Embase (Ovid), CINAHL, Google Scholar, LILACS and the Cochrane Library and also searched for references from the retrieved studies. We aimed to find prospective studies that compared carpal tunnel release and elective rotator cuff surgery outcomes for Workers’ Compensation patients versus their non-compensated counterparts. We assessed the studies’ quality using the Guyatt & Busse Risk of Bias Tool. Data collection was performed to depict included studies characteristics and meta-analysis. Three studies were included in the review. Two of these studies assessed the outcomes following carpal tunnel release while the other focused on rotator cuff repair. The results demonstrated that time to return to work was longer for patients that were compensated and that there was a strong association between this outcome and compensation status - Standard Mean Difference, 1.35 (IC 95%; 0.91-1.80, p < 0.001).

Conclusions

This study demonstrated that compensated patients have a longer return to work time following carpal tunnel release and elective rotator cuff surgery, compared to patients who did not receive compensation. Surgeons and health providers should be mindful of this phenomenon when evaluating the prognosis of a surgery for a patient receiving compensation for their condition.

Type of study/level of evidence

Meta-analysis of prospective Studies/ Level III
Appendix
Available only for authorised users
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Metadata
Title
Influence of compensation status on time off work after carpal tunnel release and rotator cuff surgery: a meta-analysis
Authors
Vinícius Ynoe de Moraes
Katelyn Godin
João Baptista Gomes dos Santos
Flávio Faloppa
Mohit Bhandari
João Carlos Belloti
Publication date
01-12-2013
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
Patient Safety in Surgery / Issue 1/2013
Electronic ISSN: 1754-9493
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/1754-9493-7-1

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