Disability Trajectories After Occupational Injury

Overview

This observational study will examine patterns of disability following occupational injuries using national administrative records from 2020 through 2024. The study will evaluate how disability status changes over time after a recognized work-related injury. Particular attention will be given to temporary disability, progression to permanent disability, disability percentage, repeated disability determinations, and recurrent occupational injury claims. The study will also examine whether characteristics such as age, sex, type of occupational injury, statutory impairment category, geographic region, and year of injury are associated with different disability trajectories. No treatment or intervention will be assigned as part of this study. All information will be obtained retrospectively from existing administrative records.

Occupational injuries may result in short-term functional impairment, prolonged temporary disability, permanent disability, or repeated disability determinations. However, large-scale longitudinal information describing how disability status evolves after occupational injury is limited. This retrospective observational cohort study will use national administrative data on recognized occupational injury claims recorded between January 1, 2020, and December 31, 2024. The database includes chronological claim and disability-determination records, statutory impairment classifications, assigned disability percentages, and temporary or permanent disability status. The primary objective is to characterize longitudinal disability trajectories following occupational injury. The study will evaluate transitions from temporary to permanent disability and the time from the first observed occupational injury claim to permanent disability determination. Secondary objectives include evaluating the severity of permanent disability, changes in disability percentage over time, repeated temporary or permanent disability determinations, recurrent occupational injury claims, and patterns of disability progression. Where available, analyses will examine differences according to demographic characteristics, occupational injury category, statutory impairment classification, geographic region, and calendar year. Claim records belonging to the same individual will be linked using anonymized claimant identifiers to reconstruct the chronological sequence of occupational injury claims and disability determinations. Time-to-event and longitudinal statistical methods will be used to identify factors associated with permanent disability and other disability trajectories. Because the study uses previously collected administrative data, participants will not undergo study-specific interventions, treatment assignments, or additional clinical procedures.