Premium
Costs by industry and diagnosis among musculoskeletal claims in a state workers compensation system: 1999–2004
Author(s) -
Dunning Kari K.,
Davis Kermit G.,
Cook Chad,
Kotowski Susan E.,
Hamrick Chris,
Jewell Gregory,
Lockey James
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
american journal of industrial medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.7
H-Index - 104
eISSN - 1097-0274
pISSN - 0271-3586
DOI - 10.1002/ajim.20774
Subject(s) - indemnity , medicine , workers' compensation , occupational medicine , lumbar spine , compensation (psychology) , lumbar , service (business) , operations management , environmental health , occupational exposure , marketing , business , actuarial science , surgery , psychology , psychoanalysis , economics
Background Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are a tremendous burden on industry in the United States. However, there is limited understanding of the unique issues relating to specific industry sectors, specifically the frequency and costs of different MSDs. Methods Claim data from 1999 to 2004 from the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation were analyzed as a function of industry sector (NAICS industry‐sector categories) and anatomical region (ICD‐9 codes). Results Almost 50% of the claims were lumbar spine (26.9%) or hand/wrist (21.7%). The majority of claims were from manufacturing (25.1%) and service (32.8%) industries. The industries with the highest average costs per claim were transportation, warehouse, and utilities and construction. Across industries, the highest costs per claim were consistently for the lumbar spine, shoulder, and cervical spine body regions. Conclusion This study provides insight into the severity (i.e., medical and indemnity costs) of MSDs across multiple industries, providing data for prioritizing of resources for research and interventions. Am. J. Ind. Med. 53:276–284, 2010. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.