Return to Work After Mild Traumatic Brain Injury

NCT03214432 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: mTBI-HJG-2017
• Study Type: observational
• Target: 38,372
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Background: Patients with mild traumatic brain injury can to some extend experience long-term physical, cognitive, social and behavioral deficits, which have serious implications for employment trajectories and financial independence. These deficits have shown to be more pronounced in women. High socio-economic position such as income, level of education and employment status before the accident have shown to affect return to work. But also cohabitation status, ethnicity and health are important factors. Previously studies are typically self-report studies, and are often small and may suffer from selection bias due to patient nonresponse. Aim: The aim of this study is to describe no return to work among patients with mild traumatic brain injury in Denmark and to examine how factors such as age, gender, cohabitation status, socio-economic and pre-injury health factors affect no return to work up to 5 years post-injury. Hypothesis: We hypothesize that most patients with mild traumatic brain injury return to work within work 6 months post-injury, and that patients with mild traumatic brain injury injury receive more social transfer payments compared to the general population. Additionally, we hypothesize that low socio economic position, comorbidities and being single are associated with prolonged no return to work. Methods: The present study is an observational national register-based cohort study with long-term follow up of patients with mild traumatic brain injury from 1st of January 2008 - 31st of December 2012 in Denmark. Patients aged 18-60 years diagnosed with concussion from 1st of January 2003-31st of December 2007 in the national patient register will be included in the study. Data will be retrieved from several national databases, including the DREAM database containing data on social benefits and reimbursements. Primary outcome is no-return to work (nRTW) due to any cause and the following four secondary outcomes are graded and should be regarded as a continuum ranging from health related nRTW, limited nRTW, permanently nRTW and mortality. The results will be published as two separate scientific articles.

Conditions

Mild Traumatic Brain Injury; Concussion, Mild

Keywords

Mild traumatic brain injury; Concussion; Labour market affiliation; Return to work; Sickness absence; Long-term sickness absence; Disability pension

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• nRTW

  No-return to work up to 5 years post-injury. nRTW is defined as receiving social transfer payments in any given week during the follow-up period. If no social benefit is given in the DREAM register, it is assumed the patient is gainfully occupied or self-supporting.

  5 years follow up

Secondary Outcomes (4)

• Health related nRTW

  5 years follow up

• Limited nRTW

  5 years follow up

• Permanently nRTW

  5 years follow up

• Mortality

  5 years follow up

Study Arms (2)

mild traumatic brain injury cohort

Patients with mild traumatic brain injury were defined as hospital admitted, emergency or outpatient treated, who were assigned the ICD-10 code for concussion (ICD-10 S06.0) in the national patient register at hospital discharge from the 1st of January 2003 - 31st of December 2007. Patients were working age adults between 18-60 years old and gainfully occupied or deemed available for work the week before the injury.

non-injured control group

Controls were randomly selected from the Population register who were between 18-60 years old, had no diagnosis of mild traumatic brain injury during the period 1st of January 2003 - 31st of December 2007 and were gainfully occupied or deemed available for work the week preceding the time of injury. One control was matched for each mTBI case on gender, municipality and age (year of birth +/- 0,5 years). In case of no matching control the age criterion was expanded to (year of birth +/- 1 year), if still no matching control the age criterion was further expanded to (year of birth +/- 2 year). Additionally, controls were excluded according to the same criteria as the included cases.

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 60 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)
• Sampling Method: Probability Sample

Study Population

Patients with mild traumatic brain injury were hospital admitted, emergency or outpatient treated and identified on the basis of ICD-10 codes in the National Patient Register from the 1st of January 2003 - 31st of December 2007. Patients were included if they were registered in the national patient register database with concussion (ICD-10 S06.0) as primary diagnosis.

You may qualify if:

• ICD-10 code for concussion as action diagnosis (ICD-10: S06.0)
• Working age adults between 18-60 years old at the time of injury
• Gainfully occupied or deemed available for work the week preceding the time of injury

You may not qualify if:

• Patients were excluded if they were hospital treated and diagnosed with other major neurological injuries such as spinal cord and column injuries and traumatic brain injuries (TBI) besides the concussion at baseline.
• Patients were excluded, who 5 years prior to baseline (1st of January 1998 - 31st of December 2002) had sustained major neurological impairments including concussions.
• Patients outside of the age limit
• Patients not resident in Denmark
• Patients on unemployment benefits and not economically active at the time of injury

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Copenhagen: lead
• Rigshospitalet, Denmark: collaborator
• Sygekassernes Helsefond: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

Department of Psychology, University of Copenhagen

Copenhagen, Copenhagen K, 1353, Denmark

Location

Related Publications (2)

• Graff HJ, Siersma V, Moller A, Kragstrup J, Andersen LL, Egerod I, Mala Rytter H. Premorbid risk factors influencing labour market attachment after mild traumatic brain injury: a national register study with long-term follow-up. BMJ Open. 2019 Apr 11;9(4):e027297. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2018-027297.

  PMID: 30975684 DERIVED

• Graff HJ, Siersma V, Moller A, Kragstrup J, Andersen LL, Egerod I, Mala Rytter H. Labour market attachment after mild traumatic brain injury: nationwide cohort study with 5-year register follow-up in Denmark. BMJ Open. 2019 Apr 11;9(4):e026104. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2018-026104.

  PMID: 30975680 DERIVED

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Brain Concussion

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Brain Injuries, Traumatic; Brain Injuries; Brain Diseases; Central Nervous System Diseases; Nervous System Diseases; Craniocerebral Trauma; Trauma, Nervous System; Head Injuries, Closed; Wounds and Injuries; Wounds, Nonpenetrating

Study Officials

• Hana M Rytter

  Department of Psychology

  STUDY DIRECTOR

Study Design

• Study Type: observational
• Observational Model: COHORT
• Time Perspective: RETROSPECTIVE
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Ph.d. student

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: July 5, 2017
• First Posted: July 11, 2017
• Study Start: July 1, 2017
• Primary Completion: July 4, 2018
• Study Completion: July 4, 2018
• Last Updated: July 6, 2018

Record last verified: 2018-07

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

DK (1)