Early findings from the NSW motor accident longitudinal cohort study

Ian CameronRehabilitation Studies UnitUniversity of Sydney, and Royal Rehabilitation Centre Sydney(on behalf of the Study Investigators)

14 October 2011

ian.cameron@sydney.edu.au

Executive Summary

NSW compulsory third party motor vehicle accident insurance scheme

417 people (who are representative of all claimants, except people with catastrophic injury)

Interviewed, on average, 8 weeks after injury 45% report current health is fair or poor 66% report not returned to usual activities 25% not returned to work► Injured people are experiencing substantial

limitations ›

Background

Seeking to understand health, work and disability in NSW CTP Scheme participants

Initial “Phase 1 Cohort Study" to inform subsequent research

Aim to compare results of similar studies in other states

Recruited from NSW Motor Accidents Authority Personal Injury Register (PIR) database

NSW CTP insurers contribute claims data to MAA

Claims can be ‘minor’ (Accident Notification Forms) or full claims

Design and Methods

Inception cohort of adults Telephone interviews at baseline, 12 and 24 months Inclusion criterion - compensable injury in motor vehicle

crash within the past 3 months Exclusion criteria - age < 18 years; Severe brain injury, spinal

cord injury, injury requiring hospitalisation for more than 7 days; inability to complete questionnaires by telephone in English.

Standardised health and other outcome measures Approved by Concord Hospital Research Ethics Committee

Results - demographics

5

Results – employment pre-injury

6

Health Status before and after injury

7

Pain and work absence

8

Current health related quality of life

9

Return to work at baseline interview (8 weeks after injury)

10

The CTP participants continue to experience substantial limitations in health, and life in general, two months after the crash

The profile of pain and disability demonstrated suggest a number of participants will experience longer term problems

It is feasible to conduct research about health outcomes using telephone interviews

Some health outcome measures perform better than others and discussions are needed to develop consensus

The Phase 1 study – impressions so far

The ‘Phase 1’ Cohort Study acknowledgements

Investigators

• Ian Cameron, Chris Maher, Alex Collie, Michael Nicholas, Ian Harris, Luke Connelly, Nick Bellamy, Fiona Blyth, Sarah Derrett, Justin Kenardy, Maria Crotty, Darnel Murgatroyd, Petrina Casey

Research staff

• Keri Lockwood, Annelies De Wolf, Areen Kayaian, Margaret Mathers

Motor Accidents Authority

• David Andrews, Tina Bidese, Jacquelin Capell , Phuong Dao

Funded by the NSW Motor Accidents Authority

We acknowledge the assistance of people with injuries in conducting this study

We acknowledge the substantial ‘in kind’ support for the study from the NSW Motor Accidents Authority

Ian Cameron’s salary is supported by an Australian National Health and Medical Research Council Fellowship

Executive Summary

NSW compulsory third party motor vehicle accident insurance scheme

417 people (who are representative of all claimants, except people with catastrophic injury)

Interviewed, on average, 8 weeks after injury 45% report current health is fair or poor 66% report not returned to usual activities 25% not returned to work► Injured people are experiencing substantial

limitations ›