XXXX factors associated with duration of certified sickness absence and transition to long-term incapacity.

@entity1 @entity2749 @entity146 @entity5 @entity158 @entity85 @entity221
BACKGROUND: Despite a considerable increase in claims for long-term sickness benefits, and the impact of certifying sickness upon general practitioner (GP) workload, little is known about transition to long-term incapacity for work. AIM: To explore the relationship between @entity1 factors and the transition from short-term to long-term work incapacity, in particular focusing on mild @entity85 . SETTING: Nine practices comprising the Mersey Primary Care R_D Consortium. DESIGN: Prospective data collection and audit of sickness certificate details. METHOD: GPs issued carbonised sickness certificates for a period of 12 months. The resulting baseline dataset included claimant diagnosis, age, sex, postcode-derived deprivation score, and @entity2749 . Associations of @entity1 factors with sickness duration outcomes were tested. RESULTS: Mild @entity146 accounted for nearly 40% of certified sickness. Relatively few claimants had their diagnosis changed during a sickness episode. Risk factors for longer-term incapacity included increasing age, social deprivation, mild and severe @entity146 , @entity5 , and @entity221 . For mild @entity146 claimants, age, addiction, and deprivation were risk factors for relatively longer incapacity. For musculoskeletal problems, the development of chronic incapacity was significantly related to the nature of the problem. Back @entity158 claimants were likely to return to work sooner than those with other musculoskeletal problems. CONCLUSIONS: In addition to the presenting diagnosis, a range of factors is associated with the development of chronic incapacity for work, including age and social deprivation. GPs should consider these when negotiating sickness certification with @entity1 .
