scholarly journals The Impact of Pre-existing Health Conditions on Cost of Recovery after Workplace Injury: Insight from population-based data linkage in the State of Victoria, Australia

Author(s):  
Behrooz Hassani-M ◽  
Janneke Berecki-Gisolf ◽  
Alex Collie

ABSTRACTObjectiveComorbidity is known to affect length of hospital stay and mortality after trauma but less is known about its impact on recovery beyond the acute care period. A main challenge to study the impact of pre-existing conditions is that information on these conditions is not collected systematically and comprehensively. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of pre-existing health conditions in recovery from workplace injury using linked data. ApproachIn Victoria, Australia, approximately 85% of the labour force is covered by the state workers compensation scheme regulated by WorkSafe Victoria. The scheme provides financial compensation for healthcare and income support to eligible injured workers. . One year of WorkSafe claims for injuries that occurred between 1/07/2008 and 31/06/2009 (N = 49,171) were linked to eight years of pre-injury hospital admission admissions and emergency department presentations, received from the state Department of Health and Human Services. Main outcomes of the study included the total and categorical cost of recovery (e.g. hospital, medical, allied health) measured over short (2-6 months), medium (1-2 years) and long-term (5 years) periods. All models controlled for characteristics of the worker, workplace and injury.ResultsThe preliminary results show that the cost of recovery from workplace injury is significantly associated with history of pre-injury admissions: Workers with pre-injury admissions have higher cost of recovery including longer periods of time off work as well as further cost of health service use during recovery. As this is an ongoing project, further detailed results will be presented at the conference such as the impact of admission under each category of pre-existing conditions according to ICD codes on a wide range of outcomes after workplace injury.Conclusion Our findings are expected to help government injury compensation regulators to better understand the drivers of compensation costs and other key system outcomes such as return to work. The findings will support better allocation of financial resources, better internal management of claims and efficient allocation of physical and human resources and therefore greater client satisfaction leading to ensuring faster recovery, return to work and more effective as well as efficient service provision.

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jean M. Bergeron ◽  
Mélanie Trudel ◽  
Robert Leconte

Abstract. The potential of data assimilation for hydrologic predictions has been demonstrated in many research studies. Watersheds over which multiple observation types are available can potentially further benefit from data assimilation by having multiple updated states from which hydrologic predictions can be generated. However, the magnitude and time span of the impact of the assimilation of an observation varies according not only to its type, but also to the variables included in the state vector. This study examines the impact of multivariate synthetic data assimilation using the Ensemble Kalman Filter (EnKF) into the spatially distributed hydrologic model CEQUEAU for the mountainous Nechako River located in British-Columbia, Canada. Synthetic data includes daily snow cover area (SCA), daily measurements of snow water equivalent (SWE) at three different locations and daily streamflow data at the watershed outlet. Results show a large variability of the continuous rank probability skill score over a wide range of prediction horizons (days to weeks) depending on the state vector configuration and the type of observations assimilated. Overall, the variables most closely linearly linked to the observations are the ones worth considering adding to the state vector. The performance of the assimilation of basin-wide SCA, which does not have a decent proxy among potential state variables, does not surpass the open loop for any of the simulated variables. However, the assimilation of streamflow offers major improvements steadily throughout the year, but mainly over the short-term (up to 5 days) forecast horizons, while the impact of the assimilation of SWE gains more importance during the snowmelt period over the mid-term (up to 50 days) forecast horizon compared with open loop. The combined assimilation of streamflow and SWE performs better than its individual counterparts, offering improvements over all forecast horizons considered and throughout the whole year, including the critical period of snowmelt. This highlights the potential benefit of using multivariate data assimilation for streamflow predictions in snow-dominated regions.


Author(s):  
Lewis Cowie ◽  
Luke Hendrickson

By linking Education, Health, and Welfare data in the Multi-Agency Data Integration Project (MADIP), our analysis looked at the impact of poor mental health on the likelihood of completing an undergraduate degree in Australia. IntroductionCompletion of a bachelor degree is important to both the student and the government, as it provides lifelong benefits and prevents investment loss. Previous research has reported conflicting findings regarding whether students with mental ill health are less likely to complete a degree, with an estimated 25 per cent of young adult university students experiencing mental ill-health each year. Objectives and ApproachOur research analysed national mental health service use and related pharmaceutical prescriptions linked with education data to determine the extent and effect of known mental health conditions on undergraduate student six-year completion rates. We followed a de-identified cohort of 120,000 students who commenced an undergraduate degree for the first time in 2011 for six years. Summary statistics and a binomial logit was used on a matched sample to confirm significance. ResultsWe found that students with a known mental health condition had a significantly lower six-year completion rate (58 per cent) than those students with no known mental health condition (71 per cent). By simulating a randomised control trial controlling for a wide range of demographics, we showed that these results held and that completion rates worsened with increasing severity of mental health conditions, as measured by usage of psychiatric services. ConclusionIntegrated data assets such as MADIP help us better understand the interaction between student success and mental health conditions which in turn will help us improve policy and better evaluate programs.


2018 ◽  
Vol 68 (4) ◽  
pp. 549-572 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maciej Ryczkowski ◽  
Monika Maksim

The article evaluates the influence of a wide range of socio-demographic, job and company-related characteristics on the likelihood of low earnings by applying logistic regression on a broad range of Labour Force Survey data. We evidenced that the average impact of the company-related characteristics is three times stronger than the impact of personal characteristics. We also found that working full-time considerably decreases this risk of low wages, but company-related and personal characteristics (except for the kind of company’s economic activity) have not provided a rent (benefit) from working full-time. The underlying conclusion is that reforms decreasing the size of the low-wage sector in the former transition countries should be focused on targeted employment programmes enhancing transitions to more profitable economic activities instead of possibly maintaining the unprofitable industries at all costs. Additionally, the reforms should be concentrated on introducing employment regulations to harmonise the rules of employment among all contract types, which would put the part-timers and the underemployed on a more equal footing with fulltime workers especially in terms of pension schemes and access to training.


2010 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 142
Author(s):  
Jurijs Grizāns ◽  
Jānis Vanags

Cities are an important resource for the socio-economic and regional development of the state. Urban development depends on resources, capital, labour force, which mobility from the impact of scientific and technological progress increases all the time. Resources don't belong largely to the concrete place anymore as it was before. That is why cities could think about the possibilities of increase of their attraction and competitiveness at the context of sustainable development. It means that one of the most important goals of the urban development and management is to create such kind of the urban environment which will be in line with the needs and requirements of the city inhabitants, which will be attractive for the foreign investors and tourists, which could compete with other cities. But the most important is that urban environment could give us all an opportunity to be active, participate and enjoy. The world practice shows that the use of the principles and instruments of the marketing for provision of sustainable urban development has positive impact on the socioeconomic and regional development of the state – it improves the investment environment, increases the rate of the economic investments, promotes business and tourism, improves the quality of education, increases welfare and mental development. The necessity of more detailed analysis of the importance of place marketing for sustainable urban development determines actuality of this research.


2016 ◽  
Vol 20 (10) ◽  
pp. 4375-4389 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jean M. Bergeron ◽  
Mélanie Trudel ◽  
Robert Leconte

Abstract. The potential of data assimilation for hydrologic predictions has been demonstrated in many research studies. Watersheds over which multiple observation types are available can potentially further benefit from data assimilation by having multiple updated states from which hydrologic predictions can be generated. However, the magnitude and time span of the impact of the assimilation of an observation varies according not only to its type, but also to the variables included in the state vector. This study examines the impact of multivariate synthetic data assimilation using the ensemble Kalman filter (EnKF) into the spatially distributed hydrologic model CEQUEAU for the mountainous Nechako River located in British Columbia, Canada. Synthetic data include daily snow cover area (SCA), daily measurements of snow water equivalent (SWE) at three different locations and daily streamflow data at the watershed outlet. Results show a large variability of the continuous rank probability skill score over a wide range of prediction horizons (days to weeks) depending on the state vector configuration and the type of observations assimilated. Overall, the variables most closely linearly linked to the observations are the ones worth considering adding to the state vector due to the limitations imposed by the EnKF. The performance of the assimilation of basin-wide SCA, which does not have a decent proxy among potential state variables, does not surpass the open loop for any of the simulated variables. However, the assimilation of streamflow offers major improvements steadily throughout the year, but mainly over the short-term (up to 5 days) forecast horizons, while the impact of the assimilation of SWE gains more importance during the snowmelt period over the mid-term (up to 50 days) forecast horizon compared with open loop. The combined assimilation of streamflow and SWE performs better than their individual counterparts, offering improvements over all forecast horizons considered and throughout the whole year, including the critical period of snowmelt. This highlights the potential benefit of using multivariate data assimilation for streamflow predictions in snow-dominated regions.


2017 ◽  
Vol 67 (661) ◽  
pp. e555-e564 ◽  
Author(s):  
Denise Kendrick ◽  
Paula Dhiman ◽  
Blerina Kellezi ◽  
Carol Coupland ◽  
Jessica Whitehead ◽  
...  

BackgroundThe benefits of work for physical, psychological, and financial wellbeing are well documented. Return to work (RTW) after unintentional injury is often delayed, and psychological morbidity may contribute to this delay. The impact of psychological morbidity on RTW after a wide range of unintentional injuries in the UK has not been adequately quantified.AimTo quantify the role of psychological factors, including anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic distress, on RTW following unintentional injuries.Design and settingA longitudinal multicentre prospective study was undertaken in Nottingham, Bristol, Leicester, and Guildford, UK.MethodParticipants (n = 273) were 16–69-year-olds admitted to hospital following unintentional injury, who were in paid employment prior to injury. They were surveyed at baseline, then at 1, 2, 4, and 12 months following injury; demographic data were collected along with injury characteristics, psychological morbidity, and RTW status. Associations between demographic, injury and psychological factors, and RTW between 2 and 12 months after injury were quantified using random effects logistic regression.ResultsThe odds of RTW between 2 and 12 months after injury reduced as depression scores early in the recovery period (1 month after injury) increased (odds ratio [OR] 0.87, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.79 to 0.95) and as length of hospital stay increased (OR 0.91, 95% CI] = 0.86 to 0.96). For those experiencing threatening life events following injury (OR 0.27, 95% CI = 0.10 to 0.72) and with higher scores on the Crisis Support Scale (OR 0.93, 95% CI] = 0.88 to 0.99), the odds of RTW between 2 and 12 months after injury were lower. Multiple imputation analysis found similar results, but those relating to crisis support did not remain statistically significant.ConclusionPrimary care professionals can identify patients at risk of delayed RTW who may benefit from management of psychological morbidity and support to RTW.


BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. e051410
Author(s):  
Kannamkottapilly Chandrasekharan Prajitha ◽  
Arya Rahul ◽  
Sujatha Chintha ◽  
Gopakumar Soumya ◽  
Meenu Maheswari Suresh ◽  
...  

ObjectiveTo understand the structures and strategies that helped Kerala in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, the challenges faced by the state and how it was tackled.DesignQualitative descriptive study using focus group discussions and in-depth interviews.SettingState of Kerala, India.Participants29 participants: four focus group discussions and eight in-depth interviews. Participants were chosen purposively based on their involvement in decision-making and implementation of COVID-19 control activities, from the department of health and family welfare, police, revenue, local self-government and community-based organisations. Districts, panchayats (local bodies) and primary health centres (PHCs) were selected based on epidemiological features of the area like the intensity of disease transmission and preventive/containment activities carried out in that particular area to capture the wide range of activities undertaken in the state.ResultsThe study identified five major themes that can inform best practices viz social capital, robust public health system, participation and volunteerism, health system preparedness, and challenges. This study was a real-time exploration of the intricacies of COVID-19 management in a low/middle-income country and the model can serve as an example for other states and nations to emulate or adjust accordingly.ConclusionThe study shows the impact of synergy of these themes towards more effective solutions; however, further research is much needed in examining the relationship between these factors and their relevance in policy decisions.


2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 241-268
Author(s):  
V. A. Molodykh ◽  

The evolution of views on tax evasion following the introduction of limited rationality and social and psychological factors into the models of taxpayer behavior has increased the plausibility of the initial assumptions of the models, but it has made it difficult to use classical approaches based on the search for equilibrium states. The variety of behavioral responses of taxpayers due to the many factors that influence their choice has led to the fact that tax evasion has come to be considered as the result of nonlinear and dynamic interactions between the state and taxpayers. In such models, small short-term external influences can act as shocks, which leads to the emergence of a wide range of different long-term trends, the analysis of which within the framework of traditional approaches is difficult. In this regard, the purpose of this review study is to study the evolution of views on the behavior of taxpayers that has led to the emergence of new approaches to modeling tax evasion where the key role is assigned to the analysis of the impact of external shocks of various scales and nature. The research hypothesis is that modern approaches to the study of tax evasion problems make it necessary to consider the interaction of the state and taxpayers within the framework of the theory of non-equilibrium and nonlinear systems in which minor external influences can play the role of shocks, and the most promising direction of their study is the use of agent-based modeling tools. The results of the study confirm that the use of agent-based models is a promising approach for integrating existing approaches in the study of tax evasion processes. The proposed concept of building an agent-based model for analyzing the processes of tax evasion allows us to answer the question of how short-term exogenous shocks will affect the preferences of taxpayers, taking into account their individual characteristics and accepted behavioral patterns in society.


2020 ◽  
pp. 65-70
Author(s):  
V.I. Melnyk

The article is devoted to a set of issues related to the study of administrative and legal support of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine as a subject of ensuring the system of economic security of the state. Emphasis is placed on the need for systematic comprehensive support of Ukraine's economic security system by effectively countering a wide range of real threats to the domestic economic sector in the current difficult period. An attempt is made to substantiate the expediency of positioning the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine as one of many entities to ensure the economic security of the state and determine its place among other government agencies aimed at protecting the analyzed component of state security. In particular, the emphasis is on the criminal acts under investigation of the subject, as well as the assessment of the impact of the consequences of most acts of corruption on the domestic economy. It is emphasized that effective counteraction to the latter should contribute to the proper functioning of the entire system of economic security of Ukraine. It has been established that the national anti-corruption bureau of Ukraine works, aims, and functions as one that supports the system of economic security. Attention is drawn to a significant other part of other systems of the economic component of security. The separate issues of coordination and subcontracted coordination, reporting on the effective use of consolidation of own efforts to effectively counter a wide range of domestic and existing threats, are exogenous and endogenous in origin, and are well-known translations for the national economy.


Author(s):  
Naomi Knight ◽  
Lu Han ◽  
Lan-Ho Man ◽  
Ricky Taylor

BackgroundThe Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government have carried out one of the biggest data linkage exercises in government in order to evaluate the impact of the Troubled Families Programme. Linking individual and family level data across multiple administrative datasets has proven to be both innovative and cost-effective, enabling us to place children in the broader context of their family and household circumstances for our analysis. ObjectivesTo use administrative datasets to measure children’s service use outcomes, for both programme and comparison individuals and families, to assess the impact of the Troubled Families Programme on outcomes for ‘children needing help’. MethodsThe comparison group provide a counterfactual, used to derive a robust assessment of the programme’s impact on children’s outcomes: in this case child safeguarding. Linked datasets means we can control for both individual and family level characteristics, such as parental employment, benefits, school attendance, children and adult offending and the circumstances of siblings. We have used propensity score matching to control for all covariates impacting on both treatment and outcome status. FindingsPreliminary findings show a statistically significant reduction in the number of ‘children in need’ in the 6-12 month period after intervention start compared to the matched comparison group, and a reduction in the number of ‘looked after children’. There was an increase in the number of children with a ‘child protection plan’, but this was not statistically significantly different to the comparison group. ConclusionsWhile access to such a wide range of individual and family characteristics is a key methodological advantage to evaluation, challenges include: missing data, time lags in the datasets and complex variable definitions. We have worked and continueto work with other government departments to overcome these. Whilst still in its earliest stages preliminary results for the programme’s impact are encouraging.


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