Medical Care Utilization for Work-Related Injuries in the United States 2002–2006

• Published in: Medical care 2010-07, Vol.48 (7), p.645-651
• Main Authors: Berdahl, Terceira A., Zodet, Marc
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Accidents, Occupational - statistics & numerical data; Adolescent; Adult; Age Factors; Aged; Black or African American; Black people; Black People - statistics & numerical data; Construction industries; Female; Health care industry; Health insurance; Health Services - statistics & numerical data; Health Status Disparities; Healthcare Disparities - statistics & numerical data; Hispanic or Latino - statistics & numerical data; Hispanics; Humans; Insurance, Health - statistics & numerical data; Logistic Models; Male; Medical treatment; Men; Middle Aged; Modeling; Occupational accidents; Occupations; Physical trauma; Polls & surveys; Racial Groups - statistics & numerical data; Regression analysis; Sex Factors; Uninsured people; United States - epidemiology; White people; White People - statistics & numerical data; Workplace diversity; Wounds and Injuries - epidemiology; Young Adult
• ISSN: 0025-7079; 1537-1948; 1537-1948
• DOI: 10.1097/MLR.0b013e3181dbdc1c

Objective: To examine racial-ethnic/gender differences in the odds of injury and in the odds of seeking medical treatment among workers in the United States. Methods: Logistic regression models were used to estimate the odds of having a work injury and the odds of seeking medical treatment for these injuries in a sample of non-Latino Black, Latino, and non-Latino white workers from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (2002–2006). Results: Significant variation in the odds of injury was observed across racial-ethnic/gender groups. Although race-gender groups had significant variation in the odds of experiencing a work injury, we found few differences in treatment seeking. Among the 6 subgroups, we found that white women were significantly less likely to report an injury and significantly more likely to seek treatment when injured. Having health insurance played a key role in utilization among injured workers. The odds of seeking treatment were 33% lower for uninsured workers compared with those with private insurance. Publicly insured workers were no different from privately insured workers. Conclusions: Our study sheds light on current trends in work injuries and associated medical care utilization among a nationally representative sample of workers.